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COPYRIGHT DEPOStr. 



Sunday School Experience 



A First Standard Teacher-Training 
Text-Book 



BY 



HENRY EDWARD TRALLE, MA., Th.D. 

Professor of Religious Pedagogy, Hardin College; Author of 
"Teacher-Training Essentials," etc. 



REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION 



SUNDAY SCHOOL PRESS 
Kansas City, Mo. 






COPYHIGHTED, 1913 AND 1915, BY 

Henry Edward Tralle 

Second Edition Published February, 1915 



MAR 24 1915 

©CI.A397251 



A. 



§ 






T)e6icate6 

Oo 3$ertl)a Baldwin ^>ralle, wife, 
>#l)Ose to?al l)etp anb faithful life 
3fave conquered things tfyat oft amtoy, 
T3Vn6 made m? work a work of Jo?. 



GONTENT3 



PART I 

The Pupil— Psychology 
Chapter Page 

I. Learning from Experience 11 

II. Pupils First in Importance 16 

III. The Mind of the Pupil 20 

IV. Emotions, Will, and Instincts 24 

V. Cradle Roll Success 29 

VI. Work with Beginners 35 

VII. The Primary Department 41 

VIII. Boys and Girls 46 

IX. The Intermediates 53 

X. Seniors and Adults 59 



PART II 
The Teacher — Pedagogy 

I. The Teacher's Personality 65 

II. Getting and Holding Attention 70 

III. The Graded Lessons 74 

IV. Securing Self-Expression 79 

V. Story-Telling in Teaching 84 

VI. Finding Good Stories 89 

VII. Questions and Pictures 94 

VIII. Other Methods of Teaching 98 

IX. Preparing the Lesson 103 

X. Sunday School Evangelism 108 



PART III 
The School — Administration 

I. Organizing the School 115 

II. Sunday School Management 120 



Chapter Page 

III. The Sunday Program 125 

IV. Getting Good Teachers 131 

V. Building Up the School 136 

VI. Records and Finances 140 

VII. Special Days and Occasions 145 

VIII. Missions in the Sunday School 150 

IX. Sunday School Buildings 154 

X. Sunday School Libraries 161 



PART IV 
The Bible — Materials 

I. Studying the Bible .169 

II. The Teacher's Great Book JL74 

III. Growth of the Bible 179 

IV. Bible Manuscripts and Versions -183 

V. The Canon and the Apocrypha 187 

VI. The Bible from God 190 

VII. The Teacher in the Old Testament 195 

VIII. The Teacher in the New Testament 200 

IX. Geography and History 205 

X. Early Records of the Hebrews 210 

XI. Origin of the Hebrews 215 

XII. The United Kingdom 220 

XIII. Division and Dissolution 225 

XIV. Early Jewish Period , 229 

XV. Later Jewish History... 233 

XVI. Jesus and the Gospels 237 

XVII. The Days of the Apostles 241 

XVIII. The Bible in History 246 

XIX. The Bible and Modern Missions 251 

XX. The Bible and Society ..„.„.■.„„-,....„.... 255 



About IKis <©ook 

This book treats of the pupil, the teacher, the school and the 
Bible, and places the pupil first because he is first. 

1. Its History. When the first edition of the author's "Sun- 
day School Experience" was sold out, about six months ago, the 
derajand for the book continued, and there have been many re- 
quests for another edition. This enlarged and improved edition, 
therefore, is offered to the Sunday-school public with the hope 
and prayer that it will attain a wide usefulness. 

2. Its Independence. There is evidently a place for an inde- 
pendent, non-denominational book of this character. This book 
is published by an independent company, is not in any way con- 
trolled by any denomination, has no leanings toward any particu- 
lar church, and is recognized by the International Sunday School 
Association as meeting all the requirements of a First Standard 
course. This statement is not intended as a criticism against 
texts issued by denominational boards, for the author himself 
has written one of these. 

3. Its Contents. This book is anything but a brief outline, 
since it contains nearly a hundred thousand words, but it does 
cover a wide range of subjects, and is necessarily a condensation. 
Some have questioned the value of any brief, comprehensive 
course, but many others hold still that it is good pedagogy first 
to introduce the student to the Sunday-school as a whole, in a 
general survey, and then to have him study its parts more in- 
tensively. 

4. Its Use. See suggestions in chapters four and ten in part 
three. This book may be used in the following ways: (1) In 
the training class. It may constitute the basis for an intro- 
ductory course for either present or prospective teachers and 
officers, the class meeting at the Sunday-school hour or during 
the week, and one chapter being used for each lesson period. 
(2) For advanced training. The book may be used as the 
basis of an Advanced Standard course, the class devoting from 



two to ten lesson periods to one chapter and references, the lat- 
ter being read first if it seems advisable. (3) As a reference 
book. The teacher, superintendent, or pastor may keep this book 
on his desk for ready reference. Whatever the phase of Sunday- 
school work, here is a succinct statement of the best modern 
thought on the subject, with references to the best literature. 
(4) For rapid reading. A rapid reading of this book ought 
tc give to anyone a new vision of the power and possibilities of 
the Sunday-school. 

5. Its Style. There is not space here for any "fine writing," 
but the author has sought to use good, clear English, and to 
make the book interesting and thought-provocative to the aver- 
age individual. Hence the numerous sub-heads and italics, the 
brief illustrative incidents, the terse statements, and the per- 
sonal references and experiences. 

6. Its Development. This book has been more than ten years 
in the making. It is the outgrowth of a rather wide reading 
and of practical experience as a teacher of teachers, in the col- 
lege, in conventions, institutes and assemblies, and in city, 
town and country churches. 

7. Its Improvement. The author will be grateful for frank 
criticisms, and for any illustrative incidents. These may be sent 
to him in care of the publishers, Sunday School Press, Kansas 
City, Missouri. 



Part I 

The tpupil— Psychology 



LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE 11 



CHAPTER I 

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE 

"Experience is the best teacher," but not every Sunday-school 
worker learns from it as he might if he would enlarge his own 
experience through a careful study of the experiences of other 
workers. One's individual experience, as it stands, usually is 
too narrow and crooked to be the best teacher until it has been 
enriched from the experiences of many successful workers. 

1. Saves from Discouragement. When a Sunday-school 
worker with a meager experience, one who is "in the ruts," as 
we say, first begins really to learn from experience, as he com- 
pares his work with that of others as it is pictured in training 
courses, in Sunday-school literature and in workers' conven- 
tions, he is likely to become a little discouraged at first; but, if 
he will persist in learning, he will soon attain an interest and 
efficiency that will save him from discouragement. One might, 
in his discouragement, say, "Well, I guess I am a failure, and I 
am going to quit," but that would not help matters. Such an 
one would be like the Irishman who went up in a captive balloon 
in an amusement park in Chicago. The old man was keen for 
the ascent until the balloon got up to what he considered a 
dangerous altitude. Then he turned to the man in charge and 
shouted, "Lave me out! Av ye don't, I'll cut the rope!" The 
Sunday-school worker may cut the rope, may quit, but think of 
the consequences! It is far better to learn how to learn from 
experience. At the close of a Sunday-school institute, a teacher 
said to one of the speakers, "I feel like resigning after hearing 
you talk." The speaker said: "But you will not resign. If 
you are as good as I think you are, you will take more train- 
ing. And, while you are fitting yourself for better service, you 
will keep at your work." 

2. Prevents Mistakes. One who had failed as a Sunday- 
school superintendent was heard to say, "I did the best I could." 
But had he done the best he could? Perhaps he was too lazy 
or too indifferent to study the experiences of others, that he 
might avoid their mistakes and profit by their successes. He 



12 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

was a good Christian, and possessed certain fundamental quali- 
fications, but his was an experience in repetition, and not in de- 
velopment. His program, his methods, and his ideals did not 
change. He might have been saved from numerous mistakes 
through the reading of one worthful book. He would have 
caught a new vision, seen the Sunday-school in a new light, 
come into new attitudes, formed new purposes, and adopted new 
methods. So with the teacher. A certain teacher had been 
teaching in the Sunday-school for ten years, and had failed with 
five different classes. Why? It was not because she was not 
good, for she was an earnest, consistent Christian. It was not 
because she did not have ability, for she was bright and well- 
educated. It was not through lack of interest, for she was 
genuinely interested. It was not through failure to study her 
lessons, for she made careful preparation each week. This 
teacher failed because she had not learned how to study the 
pupils themselves, in the light of the fundamental principles of 
psychology and pedagogy as outlined in a teacher-training 
course. 

3. Promotes Originality. A Sunday-school worker was 
heard to say: "I never read anything on Sunday-school work; 
I believe a man ought to be original and do his work in his own 
way." As a matter of fact, however, this man was not at all 
original. He w T as not doing his work in his own way, but rather 
in the wrong way of one other whom he had unconsciously imi- 
tated. He might have become truly original if he had studied 
the experiences of many others until he had acquired a sustain- 
ing "inspiration growing out of a knowledge of the pupil and an 
appreciation of the value of religious truth," and had trans- 
muted, through the power of his personality, the suggestions re- 
ceived from others into his own experience, which would have 
been itself original, unique, different from all other experiences. 
With such an enlarged, corrected experience, he could have gone 
forward, in his own way, with conviction, intelligence and suc- 
cess. 

4. Makes Progress Possible. Progress is the law of life in 
the kingdom of God. We ought to do better than our fathers. 
Indeed, we must do better if we do as well, for they did better 
than their fathers. One may say, "Some pretty fine people have 
come out of Sunday-schools that did not have trained workers." 
That is true, but would they not have been finer if they had 



LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE 13 

been better taught? Think, too, of those that were in these 
schools who are not fine people. Many of them are in the 
penitentiaries, and some of them have been hung. The Sunday- 
school with untrained workers succeeds only with the easier 
cases, whereas the real test is that it succeeds with the hard 
cases. The increasing need for trained workers is evident when 
we consider that society is becoming more complex, that the 
problems of life are multiplying, that distractions are more 
numerous, and that the pupils have better training in the day- 
schools. We must have better teaching in the Sunday-school. 
It used to be that most anybody could make a living on a farm in 
this country, but that time is past, for the population has in- 
creased, the seasons have changed, competition is stronger, and 
land costs more. The successful farmer of today farms scien- 
tifically. He learns from the experiences of the best farmers 
everywhere. He has studied the chemistry of soils, practices 
rotation of crops, uses approved methods of planting and plow- 
ing and harvesting, and utilizes improved machinery. He can- 
not any more make a crop, really, than could his grandfather. 
God must give the crop, but he gives the biggest crop to the man 
employing the best scientific method. One of these farmers, 
who had taken a brief course in the agricultural department of 
his state university, profiting by many carefully conducted 
experiments, was trying to put into practice what he had learned. 
He plowed deep and made a good seed bed, planted selected 
seed corn, and did shallow cultivating. During the dry season 
of 1911, he cultivated his corn ten times, just stirring the top 
of the ground, to form a mulch to hold in the moisture, with 
the result that he raised a big crop, while a neighbor, who 
despised "the new-fangled notions of them university fellers," 
and who had plowed his corn only three times, plowing deep, 
had an almost total crop failure. So in spiritual agriculture, it 
is God who gives the increase, but he gives the largest harvest 
to those who work with the larger experience. 

5. Summary of Reasons for Training. It may be well to 
sum up the reasons already discussed in this chapter, and to 
add a few others, for the taking of a training course, such as 
that outlined in this book, for instance, and for the reading of 
other books as herein suggested. (1) Experience. It 
straightens and fills out one's own narrow experience, and gives 
to it far greater teaching value. (2) Information. One gains 
information concerning his work that cannot be obtained in any 



14 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

other way. His opportunities for visiting other schools in person 
are limited, but the training class brings them to him, so to 
speak. To know what others in the same kind of work are 
doing, must prove to be both interesting and suggestive. (3) 
Understanding. One comes to understand his work better as 
he views it in the light of what others are doing. He works 
more intelligently as he gains new view-points. (4) Methods. 
He who studies the methods of others will likely himself use 
more methods and better methods, and thus he can work more 
easily and effectively. The how of Sunday-school work is just 
about as important as the what. (5) Principles. The student 
in training gets hold of the fundamental principles that underlie 
both the what and the how. He gradually acquires the ability 
to choose intelligently between methods, to distinguish between 
the good and the bad. He comes into an independence of judg- 
ment that is invaluable to the successful worker. (6) Initia- 
tive. Teacher-training helps one into an independence of 
thought that will enable him to discover new methods and prin- 
ciples for himself, and to become a real leader. Too many are 
mere followers, blindly imitating the methods of others. (7) 
Confidence. The trained worker knows what he is about, and 
therefore proceeds with an inspiring confidence that insures 
an enthusiastic following. The hesitating, doubting worker can- 
not attain any great success. (8) Open-mindedness. The 
less one knows, the more "bossy" and "big-headed" he is likely 
to be. The trained worker proceeds with conviction and confi- 
dence, and at the same time is open-minded to advice and sug- 
gestion, from whatever source it may come, always welcoming 
honest criticism. (9) Ethusiasm. Training begets interest 
and enthusiasm, and these are essential to the best work. The 
enthusiasm of the trained worker insures his prompt, regular 
attendance, sustains him in the midst of his discouragements, 
and is an inspiration to others. (10) Faith. A real Chris- 
tian could not complete even this elementary course of training 
without being infinitely strengthened as to his faith in his work, 
himself, his pupils, the truth, his Lord. And the farther he goes 
in teacher-training, the greater will be his faith. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A minister who had been reared on a farm declared 
that he learned more about milk cows in thirty minutes from a pro- 
fessor in an agricultural school than he had learned from all his own 



LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE 15 

individual experience. Explain why. A Sunday-school superintendent 
said he learned more from one book than he had learned before in his 
ten years' experience. Why? A young- woman, who is now a trained 
day-school teacher, and who has been connected with the Sunday- 
school from early childhood, said, "In all my life, I have never had a 
good Sunday-school teacher." What did she mean? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Indicate the advantage of comparing one's 
own experience with that of others. (2) Show how the worker may be 
saved from discouragement. (3) Show how one may avoid mistakes 
by studying the experiences of others. (4) Discuss originality and the 
larger experience. (5) Show why the modern Sunday-school especially 
needs trained workers. (6) Give at least five reasons for teacher- 
training. 

3. References. Cope, "The Modern Sunday School," chapters 18, 
20; Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 1. 



16 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER II 

PUPILS FIRST IN IMPORTANCE 

The pupils are first in importance in the Sunday-school — not 
the teacher, not the superintendent, not the pastor. Everything 
in and about the Sunday-school should center in the pupils and 
contribute to their proper development. The Sunday-school is 
because the pupils are. 

1. Old Customs not Valid. Those who have learned from ex- 
perience, as indicated in our first chapter, realize that the Sun- 
day-school needs to be organized around the pupils and their 
needs, and not in accordance with hoary customs or arbitrary 
rules. They understand that the organization of the Sunday- 
school is not to be received unchanged from a past generation, 
to be passed on, unchanged, to succeeding generations. Think 
for a moment of a Sunday-school that follows the old custom of 
having one superintendent and an assistant superintendent. 
Ask a worker in this school, "Why do you have it this way?" 
The answer likely will be: "I don't know. We have always had 
it this way." Then you ask : "But how did you get to having it 
this way?" And the answer will be: "Oh, I suppose it was 
because other schools had it this way." He has never con- 
sidered whether or not that old way is a good way. He has 
not considered the pupils and their needs. He has not learned 
from experience. 

2. Organizing around the Pupils. According to the best ex- 
perience of our time, the Sunday-school should be organized 
departmentally. Instead of one superintendent and an assist- 
ant, as in many improperly organized schools, there will be a 
general superintendent and from three to eight departmental 
superintendents, according to the size and equipment of the 
school. A school fully organized will have the following: (1) A 
cradle roll, including children from one to three years of age, 
inclusive; (2) a beginners' department, including pupils four 
and five years of age; (3) a primary department, including pu- 
pils six to eight years of age; (4) a junior department, includ- 
ing pupils from nine to twelve years of age; (5) an intermedi- 



PUPILS FIRST IN IMPORTANCE 17 

ate department, including pupils from thirteen to sixteen years 
of age; (6) a senior department, including pupils from seven- 
teen to twenty years of age; (7) an adult department, including 
pupils from twenty-one years of age up; (8) a home depart- 
ment, including adults who cannot attend regularly. The organi- 
zation throughout, of course, will vary according to the size and 
character of the school, some of these departments being com- 
bined in a smaller school, but, in every case, it will be depart- 
mental, for the reason that what is suited to the pupils in one 
stage of development will not be suited to them in another stage 
of development. The modern Sunday-school has as its ideal the 
reaching and holding and helping of pupils from their entrance 
into this world until their graduation into heaven. It does not 
exist for children simply, nor for adults alone, but for all pupils 
of all ages. 

3. The Reason for the Bible. Jesus, the Great Teacher, de- 
clared that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for 
the Sabbath, and we learn also, from his life and teachings, 
that pupils are not made for the Bible, but that the Bible has 
been made for the pupils. The real reason, therefore, for the 
Bible is to be found in the nature and needs of the pupils. It 
follows, then, that the Sunday-school worker who would make 
the Bible serve the pupils, will need to study the pupils as well 
as the Bible. If he would make known God's message in the 
Book, he must study God's revelation in the nature of the 
pupil himself. If the teacher would have God speak through 
him to the pupil, he must first let God speak to him through 
both the Bible and the pupil. The teacher who has studied this 
two-fold message of God to him will teach graded lessons, be- 
cause he recognizes that these are arranged with a view to meet- 
ing the changing needs of the pupils. God has already graded 
both the Bible and the pupils, and the graded lessons are the 
result of a cooperative effort to fit together the two gradings. 
The Sunday-school teacher that is conscientious, and intelligent, 
concerns himself with the saving of the pupils rather than the 
saving of the Uniform lesson system, and he adopts the best 
graded lessons available. 

4. The Teacher and the Pupils' Needs. The real teacher, in 
a departmental Sunday-school, using graded lessons, seeks to 
adapt his methods to the pupils, and he considers that no 
method is good unless it meets the needs of the pupils. Ask 



18 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

the untrained teacher that reads questions out of a quarterly, 
"Why do you do that?" He can give no good reason. Certainly 
this sort of thing is not done because it meets the needs of 
the pupils. Likely the answer to any of the following ques- 
tions would be equally unsatisfactory: "Why do you do all the 
talking in teaching?" "Why do you not use maps and a black- 
board?" "Why do you not have the pupils do handwork?" 
"Why do you not direct the pupils in useful activities?" Ask 
the teacher that does the same things every Sunday, "Why do 
you do that?" Whatever the answer, it will be a poor one, 
because the good teacher will change his method from time 
to time to meet the changing needs of the pupils. In this con- 
nection, it will be helpful to consider what is the chief aim of the 
teacher. Is it to get truth into the minds of the pupils? If 
this alone were the aim, even then it would be necessary to do 
more than question and talk. The chief aim in teaching, how- 
ever, is not merely getting the pupils to know, but rather get- 
ting them to embody the truth in their lives. To do this, the 
teacher needs to be skilful. He endeavors, through a wise use 
of many methods, to get the pupils to lay hold of the truth, to 
appropriate it, and then to express it in w^ords and deeds. The 
aim of the true teacher is not a lesson, but a life — religious life. 

5. Some Things to be Considered. It may be well to indicate 
some of the things to be considered, in dealing with pupils, for 
the benefit of those who would seek intelligently to make the 
pupils first in importance in the Sunday-school. (1) Age. 
One's interests and needs are determined in part by age, and this 
must be taken into account in the grouping and management of 
pupils in the Sunday-school. Age alone must not govern the 
grouping, but it needs to be considered. (2) Development. 
Some pupils develop more rapidly than others, and, to some 
extent, differently. Consider, then, in placing pupils in the 
Sunday-school, not only their age, but also their physical, 
mental, and religious development. It would be a mistake to 
think of size in this connection. The larger size sometimes is 
due to, or results from, slow development. (3) Education. 
The kind of education the pupil has had will in part determine 
his true place in the Sunday-school. Have his educational 
opportunities, in the home, the day-school, and the Sunday- 
school, been good or poor? Let the teacher visit the day-school 
occasionally, and cooperate with the day-school teacher. (4) 
Environment. We must determine, as far as possible, the 



PUPILS FIRST IN IMPORTANCE 19 

nature of the home and other influences that have helped to 
make the pupil what he is. This involves acquaintance with 
his home and with his week-day associates and activities. The 
Sunday-school teacher must be more than a mere Sunday 
teacher. (5) View-point. We are not going to turn the man- 
agement of the school altogether over to the pupils, but at 
the same time we must know their view-point in order to meet 
intelligently their needs. We must know what they are think- 
ing and how they are thinking. This knowledge comes through 
a study of the pupils themselves, in the light of genetic psy- 
chology. The following eight chapters of this book especially 
will be found helpful in acquiring the view-point of pupils. 
Immeasurable harm has come to pupils through the adultism 
inflicted upon them. By adultism is meant the habit grown-ups 
have of looking at everything that concerns the pupils from 
their own adult point of view. In attaining the pupil's point of 
view, it is not enough to know what he says and does. It is 
necessary also to know the reason for his doing and saying, 
and to determine their real meaning. What is his view-point? 
Why, why, why? (6) Individuality. No grouping, however 
intelligently done, can adequately care for the pupils' needs. 
There will be important differences in the same group, and 
individual peculiarities and needs to be noted and accommo- 
dated. No Sunday-school is good for any pupil unless it is meet- 
ing his own peculiar needs. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A superintendent says: "A few years ago, we had 
a class of junior boys in our Sunday-school who would have truly tried 
the patience of Job. They had no respect for God or man. No teacher 
could manage them. Woman after woman gave them up in despair. 
We tried everything we knew, but failed, and finally we sent two of 
the worst boys home, and asked them not to come back. Of course 
we lost those two boys, and also the parents of one of them." Who 
was responsible for this failure and the loss of those two boys? Did 
that school regard the pupils as first in importance? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Why are old customs not valid now? (2) 
What is meant by organizing the Sunday-school around the pupils? 
(3) Discuss the relation of the Bible to the pupils. (4) Discuss the 
teacher's methods in relation to the pupils' needs. (5) Name and dis- 
cuss some things that need to be considered in the grouping and 
teaching of pupils. 

3. References. Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 
8; Lamoreaux, "The Unfolding Life," chapter 1; Slattery, "Talks with 
the Training Class," chapter 1; Mumford, "The Dawn of Character," 
chapters 1, 14. 



20 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER III 

THE MIND OF THE PUPIL 

The pupil's mind is the teacher's field, where he plows 
and plants and cultivates. It is of vital importance, therefore, 
that the teacher know this field in its extent and character and 
possibilities. 

1. Examples of Thinking. A small boy in a small town was 
taken to Sunday-school by his father. It was the father's 
custom to leave the son at the door, and to betake himself to 
his store, where he looked over his mail and read the Sunday 
papers. One Sunday, when the boy was about seven years old, 
he said to his father, just before they reached the church, "I 
won't have to go to Sunday-school when I get to be a big man 
like you, will I, Daddy?" The father did not have an answer 
ready, and he considered the question as he went to his store 
that morning. He did some of the most serious thinking of his 
life and he came to a decision. A week later he went with his 
boy into the Sunday-school, where he became a regular attend- 
ant, and, later, a worker. Three months afterward, he joined the 
church, and became one of its most efficient members. The 
thinking of this father and of his son changed both their lives, 
and affected many others. Each had a problem to solve, and 
he thought it out. In each case, the mind was active, and not 
a mere passive something being acted upon by outside forces. 
In each case, too, the mind was acting as a whole, and not as 
separate parts, or faculties. The thinking of the one differed 
greatly from that of the other, but, at the same time, there 
were, in the consciousness of each, what we designate as per- 
cepts, concepts, memory, imagination, reasoning, emotion, and 
will. 

2. Concepts and Judgments. In the example given above, 
there was the solving of two problems, two processes of reason- 
ing. The boy's problem produced what is called a thought crisis. 
He made comparisons, formed judgments, and came to a con- 
clusion. An important part of the work of the teacher in the 
Sunday-school consists in helping the pupil to form correct judg- 



THE MIND OF THE PUPIL 21 

ments and to reach right conclusions in matters of religion, 
with a view to right character and conduct. The boy's reason- 
ing involved the use of concepts. The word " Sunday-school' ' 
stood for the group of meanings, that is, his concept, which he 
had acquired through his experiences with that institution. 
Other concepts involved in his reasoning were his thoughts, 
"Daddy," "a big man," and "have to go." The good teacher will 
be careful not to use words for which the pupil has no con- 
cepts ; or, if he must use words that are new to the pupil, he will 
explain them and illustrate them. A kindergarten teacher said 
to her pupils one day: "Sit up straight, children. If you don't, 
you might get tuberculosis." When little Helen got home, she 
said to her mother, "Our teacher said all of us would get well if 
we would sit up straight and have two locomotives" A min- 
ister's daughter came home from a Uniform lesson Sunday- 
school, where the teacher had discussed the apostles, and said, 
"Mama, what are 'possums?" " 'Possums! Why, what do you 
mean, child?" "My Sunday-school teacher told about the 
twelve 'possums." 

3. Sensations and Perceptions. Concepts are made up of 
percepts. It was what the boy had seen and heard in the Sun- 
day-school, and about the Sunday-school, that formed the mental 
associations that gave him his idea "Sunday-school." And, at 
the basis of his perceptions, were sensations. Perceptions 
have been defined as sensations plus meaning. The sense-organs 
in the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, skin, and other parts of the body 
"pick up" stimuli, and convert them into nervous excitations, 
which reach the nerve centers as sensations. As soon as these 
sensations take on meaning they become perceptions, and enter 
the stream of consciousness, and we then can say that we see, 
hear, taste, smell, etc. "This world which we enter through the 
gateways of the senses is more marvelous by far than any fairy 
world created by the fancy of story-tellers." Sensations are at 
the basis of all thinking, and without them the pupil would be 
boxed up in the dark, with no conscious connection between him- 
self and the rest of the world. The child needs, therefore, par- 
ticularly in the early years, to experience a multiplicity of sen- 
sations, that he may acquire an adequate store of perceptions. 
In the Sunday-school, there needs to be large use of pictures, 
objects, and handwork, with proper adaptations, of course, to the 
pupils' interests and needs. Says Betts: "Some of the outside 
world we know only as we come into immediate and direct eon- 



22 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

tact with it, as in the case of taste and smell and touch. Other 
parts of it we can know at a distance, as in sight and hearing 
and temperature. Nor is the one fact more wonderful than the 
other. The marvel first of all is that the great world outside of 
the mind is knowable to it through the gateways of the body 
which we call the senses. And further that, after we come to 
know a sufficient part of the world by means of the senses, and 
have come to see the relation existing between the known parts, 
we can then go on through thought to discover still other parts 
of it without the use of the senses at all." 

4. Getting the Pupil to Remember. The boy of the illustra- 
tion was exercising his memory, in his thinking, as he talked 
with his father. It is supposed that the memory cannot be 
trained directly, any more than happiness can be found by seek- 
ing it directly. Good memory depends on good teaching. The 
mind reknows its states and processes by the natural law of 
association. A few practical suggestions are offered to the 
teacher. (1) Help the pupil to associate the new with the old. 
Get him to see the new as like or unlike, as cause or effect, 
in its essential connection with something already learned. (2) 
Present teaching materials in wholes. The mind tends to grasp 
wholes, and not parts. Make the wholes, or units of subject 
matter, small, particularly for the younger pupils. That is, 
teach one thing at a time. Use short lessons. (3) Approach 
the pupil through more than one set of sensations. Present the 
truth through ear sensations and eye sensations and skin sensa- 
tions and muscle sensations, etc. That which the pupil gets 
through two sets of sensations will be retained probably four 
times as long as that which he gets through only one set, and 
so on in geometrical progression. (4) Help the pupil to have 
a good time while he is learning. Fit the teaching into his 
interests, and do not be afraid of a little wholesome fun. The 
great teachers have appreciated the pedagogical value of fun, 
of good cheer, and of pleasant surroundings. Pupils never for- 
get their good times, and their religious lessons will stay with 
them, and serve them all their lives, if associated with pleas- 
urable feelings. 

5. Training the Imagination. When the pupil remembers, he 
imagines. In his reknowing, he has an image in present con- 
sciousness of what he has before seen, or heard, or touched, with 
the added consciousness that it is not the original experience. 



THE MIND OF THE PUPIL 23 

This is reproductive imagination. Our boy was using his imagi- 
nation in his thinking about his Sunday-school. When the pupil 
makes something new out of a combination of these recalled 
images, his mind is functioning in productive, or constructive, 
imagination. It is productive imagination that has been trained 
in the architect, painter, poet, inventor, reformer, and prophet. 
Says Betts: "Imagination is not a process of thought which 
must deal chiefly with unrealities and impossibilities, and which 
has for its chief end our amusement when we have nothing bet- 
ter to do than to follow its wanderings. It is, rather, a com- 
monplace, necessary process which illumines the way for our 
everyday thinking and acting — a process without which we 
think and act by haphazard chance or blind imitation. It is the 
process by which the images from our past experiences are mar- 
shaled, and made to serve our present. Imagination looks into 
the future and constructs our patterns and lays our plans. It 
sets up our ideals and pictures us in the acts of achieving them." 
The productive imagination enables the Christian to realize 
Christ as a living, present person, to discern the unseen reali- 
ties and to lay hold of the eternal verities. The unimaginative 
cannot know the truth, and their religion is cold, formal, power- 
less, and joyless. Faith lays its foundations in the constructive 
imagination. The Sunday-school teacher has an inexhaustible 
supply of imagination-training materials in the matchless 
stories of the Bible. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A student, taking a correspondence course, writes: 
"I see now that I have been making- a mistake in simply telling- the 
pupils what I knew instead of getting them to think for themselves." 
What caused this teacher to make this mistake, and what has enabled 
him to correct it? Give an example of some mistake, from your own 
experience or that of another. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Tell the story of the thinking of the father 
and son. (2) Discuss concepts and judgments in relation to the Sun- 
day-school teacher. (3) What of the sensations and perceptions of 
Sunday-school pupils? (4) Give four suggestions relative to getting 
pupils to remember. (5) Discuss the training of the imagination. 

3. References. Slattery, "Talks with the Training Class," chapters 
3, 4, 5, 6; Mumford, "The Dawn of Character," chapters 2, 3, 4, 13; 
Betts, "The Mind and Its Education," chapters 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; Mark, 
"The Teacher and the Child," chapters 1, 2, 3, 4; Colvin and Bagley, 
"Human Behavior;" Kirkpatrick, "The Individual in the Making." 



24 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER IV 

EMOTIONS, WILL, AND INSTINCTS 

In the preceding chapter, we have considered only the in- 
tellectual processes of the mind. There remain to be studied 
also, in this chapter, the emotional life, the training of the will, 
and the nature and importance of the instincts. 

1. The Emotional Life. In the thinking of the boy, in the 
illustration given in the preceding chapter, there were involved 
certain emotions relative to his father and his Sunday-school; 
and the change in the father's conduct brought about a change 
in the boy's emotions. There is associated with every experience 
of the pupil a feeling of either the pleasant or the unpleas- 
ant, and these feelings profoundly influence his life and actions. 
These feelings of the pleasant and the unpleasant vary greatly 
in the degree of their intensity. Emotions are more complex 
than feelings. Colvin and Bagley define emotion as follows: 
"Emotion is a complex state of consciousness of a high affective 
coloring, involving an intellectual and a will attitude." The 
training of the emotions is a vital part of the work of the Sun- 
day-school, for the reason that they are at the basis of atti- 
tudes and that they largely control conduct. It is emotion that 
gives color to the pupil's interests, that leads him to approve or 
disapprove, that gives him the sense of that which is worth- 
while. Without emotion, the pupil would not care for anything. 
He would not care for religion. He must be trained into an ap- 
preciation of the higher things of life. Bible facts must be 
made to appear to the pupil to have some worth if they are to 
lead to right action. "There must be a glow of feeling, a desire, 
some form of approval, a prejudice, that attaches itself to the 
mere fact and gives it a sanction." The Bible, when rightly 
taught, makes a powerful appeal to the religious emotions, lead- 
ing to reverence, awe, and love, and to appreciation of the good 
and brave and true and unselfish. A properly arranged order 
of service also may be an important factor in emotional train- 
ing. The teacher's own emotions and moods, moreover, con- 
stitute a powerful factor in teaching. The pupils will tend to 
care for what the teacher cares for, to admire what he admires, 



EMOTIONS, WILL, AND INSTINCTS 25 

to approve what he approves. The teacher who habitually stays 
away from the preaching service could not expect his pupils to 
want to attend. The teacher's praise of his pastor will lead 
the pupils into a like respect and love. The teacher's own rever- 
ence and regularity will teach more than anything he might say 
about them. 

2. Training of the Will. When that father compelled his son 
to go to Sunday-school, the profit was comparatively small, but 
the change in his own attitude and conduct caused the boy to 
desire to attend Sunday-school, and to go of his own accord. 
Then the boy, in thus exercising his own will, began to come 
into the real benefits of Sunday-school attendance. All mind- 
training is, in a w r ay, will-training. There may be an exercise 
of the will in perception, in memory, in imagination, in reason- 
ing. But, at the same time, there is necessary a definite train- 
ing of the w T ill. And this training may begin at a very early age. 
Many of the decisions in later life are due to early repetitions 
of impulsive actions. Long before the pupil is capable of much 
willed attention, when his behavior is controlled mainly by in- 
stinctive impulses, the foundations of all future will-training 
are being laid. Then, as the child develops and gradually be- 
comes able to repeat with attention a combination of desirable 
movements, the teacher will be careful to make clear the nature 
of the movements and the reasons for the habit that is being 
formed, will "motivate" the repetitions by appeal to innate and 
acquired interests, and will see that there are no exceptions 
permitted in the repetitions until the desired habit is firmly 
established, for the teacher's work of will-training consists 
largely in helping the pupil to render active attention and to 
form right habits, the basis of which is repetition. Says Betts: 
"What is needed in developing the will is a deep moral interest 
in whatever we set out to do, and a high purpose to do it up 
to the limit of our powers. Without this, any artificial exer- 
cises, no matter how carefully they are devised or how heroically 
they are carried out, cannot but fail to fit us for the real tests 
of life; with it, artificial exercises are superfluous." In will- 
training, the teacher again and again helps the pupil to con- 
vert emotion into motion. Thus the intelligent, patient teacher 
may so train the pupil that he will be able to solve life's prob- 
lems, make right decisions, form for himself the new habits 
that will result in a proper adjustment to a changing environ- 
ment. Summing up, (1) give clear reasons, (2) make the right 



26 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

attractive, (3) appeal to existing interests, (4) tactfully per- 
severe, (5) give direction to emotions, (6) commend progress, 
and (7) provide opportunities for making choices. 

3. Taking Account of the Instincts. The boy's decision with 
reference to the Sunday-school was largely influenced by his 
instincts. His emotions, for the most part, had an instinctive 
basis. An inborn tendency was at the basis of his opposition to 
Sunday-school imposition. His social instincts were ripening, 
and it was possible to make attractive and helpful to him his 
association with teacher and pupils. His adaptive instincts were 
at the basis of his seeking to imitate his father and other men 
who did not attend Sunday-school. The play instinct in him 
made it possible for the Sunday-school to direct him in all- 
absorbing efforts that would have carried him over into good 
habits of life. The inquisitive instinct in him could have been 
appealed to in gaining his attention and securing from him 
active self-expression. The instincts profoundly influence the 
life from birth to death. They are at the basis of the emotional 
life and of all will-training. They are inborn. They come into 
the world with the pupil, as a part of his heredity. They can- 
not be acquired, but are at the basis of all acquiring. They 
need not be learned, but there is no learning without them. 
"Instincts are natural tendencies to act in certain ways which 
result from the inborn organization of the nervous system." 
These instinctive tendencies cannot be eradicated, but they may 
be controlled, repressed, developed, directed- — and this is the 
chief task of education. Says Athearn: "The religious teacher 
seeks out all the instincts, reflexes and impulses that are 
essential to a well balanced Christian character, secures their 
development into permanent life habits and lets all undesira- 
ble instincts and impulses die through disuse." The instincts 
do not appear in the individual all at one time, but "ripen" 
from time to time, and the great fundamental differences that 
appear as the pupil advances from one stage of development 
to another are due mainly to this fact. When an instinct 
ripens, new interests appear, and these interests make it possi- 
ble for the trained teacher to secure attention and to do the 
teaching that is needed at this time. The instincts may be 
classified as follows: (1) Individualistic, those that make for 
the welfare of the individual, as the feeding, fearing, and fight- 
ing instincts; (2) Parental, those that make for the con- 
tinuance of the species, as sexual, protective and home-building 



EMOTIONS, WILL, AND INSTINCTS 27 

instincts; (3) Social, those that make for the preservation of 
society, as gregarious, sympathy, and altruistic instincts; (4) 
Adaptive, those that make for adjustment to environment, as 
imitation, play, and inquisitive instincts; (5) Regulative, those 
that make for conformity to law, as moral and religious in- 
stincts; and (6) Resultant and Miscellaneous, those that make 
for a larger life, as collecting, constructing, expressive, and 
esthetic instincts. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Always I have been prejudiced in favor of the 
Sunday-school. The first one I attended was not very good, but 
Mother thought so much of it that she kept me in it despite distance, 
weather, visitors, and other discouragements. This prejudice has been 
of immeasurable value to me. Describe one of your early prejudices, 
and indicate its effect in your religious development. Are the prej- 
udices of the pupils a help or a hindrance to the teacher? Explain. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Define emotion, and indicate its importance 
in teaching. (2) Indicate three ways in which the emotions may be 
properly trained. (3) Give suggestions as to will- training. (4) Define 
instincts, and indicate their relation to teaching. 

3. References. Slattery, "Talks with the Training Class," chapters 
1, 2, 8, 9; Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapters 8, 9, 10; 
Betts, "The Mind and Its Education," chapters 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; 
Mark, "The Unfolding of Personality," chapters 3, 4, 5; Mumford, "The 
Dawn of Character," chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 11; St. John, "Child Nature 
and Child Nurture," Kirkpatrick, "Fundamentals of Child Study;" 
DuBois, "The Natural Way." 




s 

si 






o 






CRADLE ROLL SUCCESS 29 



CHAPTER V 

CRADLE ROLL SUCCESS 

The cradle roll department exists for the benefit of infants, 
one to three years of age, and success is attained through an 
understanding of the babies themselves, through tactful assist- 
ance given the mothers, and through proper organization and 
methods of work. 

1. The Babies Themselves. The most helpless of all infants 
is the human infant. The human baby knows less than a baby 
bee or a baby chicken, but is capable of learning far more than 
either of them. He knows so little at first that he may know 
so much later. His helplessness, too, lasts a long while that he 
may have plenty of time in which to learn. The infant's early 
helplessness, then, is of tremendous advantage to him; and it is 
also a blessing to parents and teachers. The dependence of the 
human infant is a powerful appeal to the sympathies of those 
who care for him and train him, and his wonderful educational 
possibilities are a never-failing inspiration. The first year of 
the infant's life is a period of very rapid physical and mental 
development. Physically, he nearly trebles his size, and he 
grows just as fast mentally. If you wonder what the baby is 
thinking about at the beginning, it is likely that he is not think- 
ing at all. There is scarcely any mind there. He has eyes, but 
sees not; he has ears, but hears not; he has a brain, but thinks 
not. He is practically blind at birth. He does not really see 
anything. He has no control over the muscles that move the 
eye, and those that move the head, and can only stare into empty 
space. After a few weeks, there is an instinctive turning to 
the light, and a certain kind of pleasure is experienced. At 
about six weeks or two months, the infant begins to look at 
objects with attention, when they are presented to him, and, at 
three or four months, he can give definite direction to the gaze 
and hold it there, and so really sees for the first time. At five 
or six months, he has some idea of size and distance, and will 
reach for things, and, at about one year, begins to distinguish 
between colors. So with hearing, touch, taste, and other sen- 
sations. They take on meaning and yield perceptions very 



30 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

gradually. Touch and taste sensations are probably the first 
to yield perceptions, and, later, mainly through the former, the 
infant attains the notion of self. He touches portions of his 
body, and then some external thing, and, after experiencing 
many sensations, comes to perceive that there is a difference 
between the touch of himself and the things about him. So 
after several months, he makes the wonderful discovery that his 
foot is fastened to himself. By the beginning of the second 
year, the normal infant has made marvelous progress. From 
being one of the least intelligent of the animals, he has become 
one of the most intelligent. At first he was capable of only 
simple reflex and instinctive movements, and now his move- 
ments have become complex and to a considerable extent co- 
ordinated and effective. He can now move himself around and 
manipulate objects much as he chooses. During the second and 
third years, the infant learns to walk and talk. Think of it! 
He has learned a language! And he has a world now of con- 
siderable size, whereas at the beginning, he had none at all. 
He has built up a large number of perceptions out of his mani- 
fold sensations, and now knows many objects and some persons. 
The infant's world now is a very large one, when you think of 
the short time he has been making it, but it is very small when 
compared with that of the adult. Even in the latter part of 
this period, perception, memory, imagination, reason, emotion, 
and will very likely do not play so important a part as fond 
parents sometimes think, for in the second and third years, 
children "do clever things, and say brilliant words, by imitation 
and accident, not knowing the meaning of them." 

2. Helping the Mothers. The Sunday-School, through the 
cradle roll, should help the mothers to understand the nature 
and needs of infants and to appreciate the tremendous im- 
portance of the early home-training. The first year has been 
described as the pre-social stage, during which the infant is 
influenced mainly by things and persons in an objective way, 
and only slightly by the thoughts and feelings of the individuals 
around him. The chief consideration in this period is health. 
Much attention therefore should be given to food, clothing, and 
ventilation. Danger and death lurk in flies, impure milk, and 
unwholesome physical surroundings. There is danger also in 
all strong stimuli, such as bright lights, loud noises, strong 
winds, violent rocking, and vigorous shaking. The intelligent 
mother will not regard her baby as a plaything, to be tossed up 



CRADLE ROLL SUCCESS 31 

and down, and handed about, and talked at, and shown off. I 
saw a six-weeks-old baby awakened out of a sound sleep twice 
in one afternoon to be exhibited by the proud mother to curious 
women of the neighborhood. Even if the poor little thing should 
live through that sort of treatment, she will likely become a 
nervous wreck later in life. Another thing of great importance 
in this period is the formation of regular habits, for these form 
the basis for later religious training. The infant should receive 
his food at regular intervals and should be quietly laid down in 
a darkened room for his sleep at a certain time. The second 
and third years have been described as the imitative and social- 
izing stage, during which "the child becomes more and more 
susceptible to mental influences, and his mental states are de- 
termined to a considerable extent by the mental states of those 
around him." That which we call the atmosphere of the home 
is now of vital importance. Happy the child if in the home there 
is love, kindness, good cheer, and reverence. He imitates the 
movements and words and tones of those about him, and some 
of these imitations are laying the bases of the habits of later 
years. The mother needs now to know how to deal with the 
play, anger and fear impulses of the little child; how to help 
him into right conceptions of God, duty, honor, honesty, etc.; 
how to help him into proper likes and dislikes; and how to 
develop in him habits of industry, obedience, accuracy, prompt- 
ness, cleanliness, neatness, and the like. 

3. Organization and Work. Some of the things needed in 
the cradle roll department are the following: (1) Superin- 
tendent. The superintendent should be a consecrated Christian 
woman, who is fond of babies, who will devote a reasonable 
amount of time to the work, and who has tact in visiting the 
homes. One or more assistants may be needed. (2) Equipment. 
There are needed membership certificates, one of which is sent 
to the mother when the baby is enrolled; birthday cards, one of 
which is sent to each baby on the birthday; record cards or a 
record book, for permanent records; promotion certificates, to 
be given to the members when promoted into the beginners' 
department; departmental stationery, for use in inviting the 
mothers to special meetings; pictures, books, and the roll itself. 
(3) Roll. The names may be written upon a decorated sheet 
of cardboard; they may be written upon small cards and tied 
with ribbon to a toy cradle or go-cart; they may be written 
upon small cardboard hearts and fastened upon a larger card- 



32 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

board heart ; they may be inscribed upon kodak pictures of the 
babies and kept in a frame; or they may be kept in any other 
suitable way. Usually the roll is kept in the beginners' assem- 
bly-room. (4) Recruiting. As soon as the superintendent learns 
of the birth of the baby, through the beginners' department or 
through announcement in the paper, she calls and secures the 
new member. She feels that she is entitled to all the babies in 
the families connected with her church, and also all the others 
in the community on which no other Sunday-school has a right- 
ful claim. (5) Welcome. The Sunday after the baby's name 
is secured for membership, there may be, in the beginners' de- 
partment, a welcome service, which consists of the placing of the 
new name upon the roll, a brief, simple prayer, and an appro- 
priate song, which may be sung or recited. (6) Days. Occa- 
sionally there may be a cradle roll day, between Sundays, with 
the mothers and fathers present, with a prepared program of 
instruction, with social features, and with refreshments. Some- 
times the babies and their mothers are invited to the beginners' 
department, and a short service is held in their honor, a wel- 
come being sung to them, and a flower given to each little 
visitor. On rally day, and on children's day, there may be a 
cradle roll parade. (7) Attentions. At Christmas time, the 
babies are remembered with some inexpensive gift; in case of 
sickness, there is a visit, some flowers, or a telephone inquiry; 
and, if one of the babies should die, there would be expressions 
of sympathy, and flowers from the cradle roll department. (8) 
Promotions. After the baby passes the third birthday, he may 
be promoted into the cradle roll class of the beginners' depart- 
ment, with an attractive welcome service. If the mother cannot 
be present, the child may be brought by a junior girl. The 
baby's name, then, is erased from the cradle roll, or checked 
with a gilt star. (9) Literature. The department should sub- 
scribe for at least one mothers' magazine, and should have suit- 
able books, and should keep them in circulation among the 
mothers. The superintendent herself should read these first, 
and should be on the lookout for helpful books and for articles 
in periodicals which she may get and lend to the mothers, or to 
which she may call attention. The following may be recom- 
mended as suitable: DuBois, "Beckonings From Little Hands;" 
Wiggin, "Children's Rights;" Kerley, "Short Talks With Young 
Mothers;" Perez, "The First Three Years of Childhood;" Holt, 
"The Care and Feeding of Children;" Von Palm, "Rainy Day 



CRADLE ROLL SUCCESS 33 

Pastimes for Children ;" Harrison, "A Study of Child Nature;" 
Johnson, "When Mother Lets Us Help;" St. John, "Child Nature 
and Child Nurture;" Bailey and Lewis, "For the Children's 
Hour;" Lindsey, "Mother Stories;" Sly, "World Stories Retold." 
(10) Pictures. The mothers should be encouraged to have in 
the home pictures that dignify parenthood and sanctify child- 
hood. The Sistine Madonna, for instance, or some other master- 
piece of the mother and child, would be suitable. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A mother was horrified, when one day, she over- 
heard her two-year-old son, not yet able to talk plainly, repeating 
over and over to himself a vile phrase of profanity. Was tnat child 
bad? Did he know he was using- profanity? Ought the mother to 
have punished him? If not, what should she have done? Can you 
recall a case in point? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Why the helplessness of the human infant? 
(2) Characterize the first year of the infant's life. (3) Discuss the 
second and third years of the infant's life. (4) Give practical sugges- 
tions in connection with the pre- social stage. (5) Discuss the imitat- 
ing and socializing stage. (6) Give suggestions regarding the organ- 
ization and work of the cradle roll department. 

3. References. Lamoreaux, "The Unfolding Life," chapter 2; Mum- 
ford, "The Dawn of Character," chapters 12, 14; Athearn, "The Church 
School," chapter 4. See also the books on the beginners' department. 



WORK WITH BEGINNERS 35 



CHAPTER VI 

WORK WITH BEGINNERS 

Sunday-school pupils about four and five years of age are in 
what is known as the period of early childhood, and they are 
members of the beginners' department, sometimes called kinder- 
garten department. The child is growing rapidly during this 
period, but not so rapidly as during the first three years of 
life. 

1. The Developing Self. The outstanding characteristics of 
beginners may be indicated. (1) Perceptions. Why does the 
beginner not see the point of the adult's joke? Because he has 
not learned to reason in the abstract. His reasoning is con- 
crete. He does not inquire into abstract qualities and rela- 
tions. If the teacher therefore would have her teaching to be 
more than an adult's joke, she will enlist the self -activities of 
the beginners through sight and touch and muscular sensa- 
tions, using objects, pictures, sand-tray, blackboard, and simple 
stories. The beginner's w r orld is full of things to see and hear 
and touch and handle. He is eye-hungry, ear-hungry, nose- 
hungry, and finger-hungry. He likes to prolong his sensa- 
tions, to experience them again and again, and also to seek 
new sensations. In this way things come to have meaning for 
him, and he gradually acquires a large number of perceptions 
of the concrete. In the latter part of this period, the child's 
instinctive curiosity becomes rational as well as sensory, and 
he wants to know how, why, what for, and where from. He is 
beginning to build up concepts and to form judgments. (2) 
Imagination. A boy about four and a half years of age said 
to me, "Uncle Henry, the other day, I saw a man come along 
the street with a great big roller, and he rolled right over a 
woman and two children, and it didn't hurt 'em a bit." That 
boy was not trying to deceive me. Most of the so-called "chil- 
dren's lies" are but the harmless play of an immature imagina- 
tion. His mind-pictures are his realities. He lives in a world 
of make-believe and revels in flights of fancy, and it is through 
the exercise of his imagination that he attains a sense of the 
realness of things and truths. It is the teacher's privilege to 



36 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

help the child, through appeal to the imagination in story and 
picture, into an appreciation of the material and spiritual reali- 
ties of life. The teacher should be on her guard against pre- 
senting to the child ideas of death, suffering, hell, devil, and 
the like, for these are beyond his understanding, and the at- 
tempt would result in his getting altogether wrong notions 
through the distortions of his undeveloped imagination. For 
the same reason, it is cruel and dangerous to frighten children 
with the "bad man" and the "big bear." DuBois tells of a 
child that was frightened into spasms, and that died within 
two weeks after having heard the cook say to her, as she 
stood watching the putting of a turkey into the oven, "That's 
the way they bake babies in New York." (3) Imitation. 
The child's imitations now are mainly of the dramatic and 
idealistic types. He has entered that stage in his development 
when he not only imitates the actions of others, but gets sug- 
gestions from their actions, and becomes creative in his imi- 
tations, as when he plays church, school or house-keeping. 
There are now being worked into his life, through his imita- 
tions, the tones of voices, the smiles or frowns, the words and 
actions, the reverence or irreverence, the concerns and ideals, 
of parents and playmates and teachers. He now "picks up," 
in the home and Sunday-school, ideas of neatness, accuracy, 
industry, kindness, honesty, politeness, and reverence. (4) 
Play. The play impulse of beginners may be appealed to 
through motion songs, finger exercises, marches, drills, and 
handwork. The play of this period should be active, with the 
minimum of control by the adult, and that mainly through in- 
direct suggestion. Such play develops both body and mind, and 
helps to subordinate the body to the mind. It trains perception, 
reason, imagination, memory, emotions, and will. It teaches 
respect for others. It is the child's work, and it is getting him 
ready for the work of the later years. (5) Individualization. 
The child is now entering the period of individualization. His 
accumulated mental materials are now being organized into 
a conscious self, and he is taking his place in the world as a 
distinct personality. He is now likely to develop a troublesome 
contrariness unless wisely dealt with, the parents and teachers 
playing with him and allowing him to help them. This develop- 
ing selfhood of the child sometimes manifests itself also in 
what some uninformed adults call "selfishness." It is, how- 
ever, selfness and not selfishness, egoism and not egotism. He 



WORK WITH BEGINNERS 37 

must be self -centered now that he may be other-centered later. 
Out of a proper respect for his little "my," there will grow a 
larger altruism. Respect his property rights, and also all 
other rights. Get him to divide with others through persuasion 
rather than force. (6) Religion. The response of the be- 
ginners to the wonderful in their environment is awe, rever- 
ence, trust, and love, and these are at the basis of religion. 
Says Athearn: "It is the business of the beginners' depart- 
ment to tie the consciousness of a personal God to the child's 
world of experience so that day and night, sun, moon and 
stars, sunrise and sunset, storm and rain, trees and flowers, 
parents, relatives and friends will all pull the God idea into 
consciousness by the laws of psychic association. When you 
have done this you have preempted the child for God and his 
whole life will be lived in the presence of God; he will live, 
move and have his being with God." 

2. The Beginners' Department. Pupils four and five years 
of age should be organized into a distinct department, and 
should not be included in the primary department or in an 
"infant class." A few suggestions are offered. (1) Superin- 
tendent. The department needs a superintendent, though 
there may be only a few pupils. This superintendent should 
be a godly, intelligent woman, who will take a First Standard 
course, such as is contained in these fifty chapters, and then 
specialize in work with beginners. Also she will see that her 
teachers get this training. The superintendent's chief duties 
consist of preparing and teaching a program, and of finding 
and training teachers. In a department of considerable size, 
there will be needed also a secretary, a pianist or organist, 
and a teacher for each group of five to ten children, and the 
superintendent should meet all these workers at least as often 
as once a month for conference, prayer, and study. (2) Rooms. 
The department needs to have an assembly-room of its own, 
so it can be separated from the rest of the school, and have 
a graded program, suited to the needs of beginners. This 
room should have solid, sound-proof partitions, and one solid, 
hinged door, opening into a corridor. See chapter nine in 
part three. (3) Equipment. In a well-equipped department, 
are found the following: Low tables, with drawers for sup- 
plies; small chairs, of a quiet color, harmonizing with the color 
scheme of the room; piano or organ; sand-tray; blackboards, 
low on the wall or on top of tables; pictures, hung low enough 



38 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

to be touched by the children; models and objects, such as 
house, church, dolls, camels, tent, rod and staff, and water jar; 
materials for handwork, such as scissors, pencils, crayolas, col- 
ored paper, small pictures, clay or pulp, sand, sticks, and blocks ; 
cabinet collections of seeds, leaves, nuts, wheat, corn, straw, 
twigs, flowers, and birds' nests. (4) Teaching. The teaching 
materials in this department consist of the following: Simple 
Bible, nature, and fairy stories; simple, uplifting songs; short, 
appropriate prayers, some of them in verse; pictures, models, 
and other illustrative materials; marches, drills and games; 
coloring, pasting, and other forms of expressional work by the 
pupils; the appearance and attitudes of the teachers; and the 
furnishings of the room. See chapters in part two of this 
book. (5) Special days. There is teaching value also in 
special days. There should be promotion services once or twice 
a year, when the first grade beginners are promoted into the 
sscond grade, and the second grade beginners are graduated into 
the primary department, with diplomas. Rally day, children's 
day, Christmas, and Easter furnish teaching possibilities. De- 
partmental birthdays and picnics have been found helpful. See 
later chapters. (6) Attendance gifts. They help to make the 
department attractive and to secure regular attendance. On 
the first Sunday in the month, the pupil receives a souvenir 
which indicates his attendance for the previous month. A little 
red hatchet cut from cardboard, with hearts or flags pasted 
on to show the number of times the pupil was present, would 
serve the purpose for February. Any inexpensive souvenir ap- 
propriate to the season will be good. They may be home-made. 
(7) Birthday cake. A plaster of Paris cake and some candles 
will help in an attractive birthday service. (8) Graded lessons. 
For the first year, the graded lessons are designed to help the 
child to realize God as the loving Father. There are simple na- 
ture stories, showing God's love and care, stories of children for 
whom God has cared, and stories teaching thankfulness and 
helpfulness for God's love and care. For the second year the 
lessons teach God's protective care. There are stories of pa- 
rental protection, stories of God's protection in nature and 
among people, and stories of expressions of thankfulness for 
protection. (9) Songs. Among the songs that have found favor 
in the beginners' department are the following: A Song of 
Thanks; God's Care of All Things; Give, Said the Little Stream; 
Little Child's Gift Carol; Children, Can You Truly Tell? The 



WORK WITH BEGINNERS 39 

First Christmas; Christmas Lullaby; The Waking Flowers; 
Awake, Says the Sunshine; Flowers' Lullaby. (10) Self- 
expression. The pupils should be taught to express their love, 
trust and gratitude through song and prayer, handwork, and 
simple acts of helpfulness. 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A boy of four said to his mother, "Mama, I saw 
an airship go right over our house." His mother said, "Oh, John, you 
know you did not see anything of the kind." "I know I did. And 
there was a big man in it, too, and it went right over our house." 
Was that boy telling a falsehood? Explain. What oug'ht his mother 
to have done with him? A teacher says, "One of my pupils, when 
about four, said to me, after I had talked about Jesus' love for little 
children, 'You are my Jesus aren't you?' " What do you think of 
that teacher? How would you have felt, and what would you have 
done in her place? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the perceptions of early childhood. 

(2) What can you say of so-called "children's lies" in this period? 

(3) What does the child imitate in this period? (4) What is the sig- 
nificance of the beginner's play? (5) How deal with the beginner's 
contrariness? (6) Why is it a good thing that the child is self- cen- 
tered? (7) How many workers are needed in the beginners' depart- 
ment? (8) Make suggestions as to rooms, equipment, teaching, and 
special days in the beginners' department. 

3. References. Lamoreaux, "The Unfolding Life," chapters 3, 4; 
Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 3; Athearn, "The 
Church School," chapter 5; Wray, "The Beginners' Department;" 
Jacobs-Lincoln, "The Elementary Worker and His Work;" Walker 
and Jenks, "Songs and Games for the Little Ones;" Davis, "Nature 
Stories for Youngest Readers." 



40 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 




A Group of Primary Pupils at Work 




A Group of Juniors Engaged in Sand-Table Work 



THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 41 



CHAPTER VII 

THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 

Sunday-school pupils about six, seven and eight years of age, 
in the first, second and third grades of the day-school, are in 
what is known as the period of middle childhood, and they are 
members of the primary department. The child in this period 
continues to grow and develop rapidly, but not so rapidly as in 
the preceding period. 

1. Psychology of the Period. As the child enters this period, 
there are no marked internal changes, but the "external, social 
and regulative influences are very prominent and the individu- 
ality of the child is to a greater or less extent brought into har- 
mony with other individualities and with social customs." (1) 
Egoism. The child still is self-centered, but less so than in the 
preceding period. He has entered a larger world since he is in 
the day-school, and he is compelled to take more account of oth- 
ers. He wants to be with other children now, but wants to be 
the center of the group. As he enters this period of "competi- 
tive socialization," the new social and rivalry impulses may be 
appealed to through games, contests, and cooperative work. 
(2) Reason. As the child continues to acquire new perceptions, 
ideas as well as instincts are helping him to interpret his new 
experiences, and he is rapidly enlarging his store of words. His 
curiosity is becoming more and more rational, and he is begin- 
ning to appreciate qualities as well as things. His memory is 
getting stronger, but it is still weak, and it should not be over- 
burdened with long passages of Scripture. His imagination is 
not less active, but it is more controlled. He is learning to dis- 
tinguish more clearly between fact and fancy, and, as soon as he 
begins to question the Santa Claus and other myths, he should 
be answered frankly and shown that they are true in that 
they teach truth. "When reason questions the reality of the 
story, the mother and the teacher are the ones to assist the 
real to be swallowed up into the ideal." (3) Play. The play 
interests continue to be an important factor in the child's life. 
He will play with others now, in games, and more according to 
rule. If, for instance, the lesson be "The Child Samuel in God's 



42 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

House," one child may represent Samuel, and another Eli. 
They may lie down upon chairs arranged to represent beds, 
some distance from each other, feigning sleep. Samuel wakes 
up and acts as if listening, then slips out of bed and goes over to 
Eli's bed and says, "Did you call me?" "No, I did not call you; 
go back to bed." And so on through. Such playing of the story 
will give the child a sense of its realness, and will enable him to 
get the desired impression. 

2. Training the Emotions. The child needs to be helped into 
right attitudes and into a proper appreciation of values. Some 
of the ways in which this may be done are here indicated, (i) 
Presentation of ideas. It will not avail to say, "You ought to 
feel this way." The feelings cannot be commanded. It is neces- 
sary rather to present the idea which will tend to arouse the de- 
sired emotions. This may be done through story, song, picture, 
and object. If the teacher wishes the pupil to feel sympathy, 
for instance, she must help him to image a situation that will 
naturally arouse this emotion. (2) Significant acts. The 
teacher may do before the pupil the things which would nat- 
urally result from the emotion, as when she arouses reverence 
by herself assuming a reverential attitude, and approval of 
some good thing by herself showing approval. (3) Expressional 
activity. To arouse an emotion, and not provide for its proper 
expression, is to do the pupil a serious injury. Expression may 
be secured in the following ways: Pupils give money with which 
to buy food for children in mission lands ; provide pure milk for 
sick babies; perform simple acts of helpfulness in Sunday- 
school; tell in Sunday-school of their helpful activities at home; 
bring flowers for the sick, and perhaps go with the teacher to 
deliver them; make some practical use of their handwork in 
educational exhibits, in orphans' homes, etc. 

3. Rooms and Equipment. For years, in a certain school, 
the pupils from three to eight years of age were present with 
the adults for at least a half hour every Sunday, during the 
opening "exercises," sitting on the high pews, wriggling, learn- 
ing to associate Sunday-school with aching limbs and confusion, 
and, before going to their separate rooms for the teaching, they 
marched the entire length of the auditorium and back the other 
aisle, not for their own good, but for the entertainment of the 
adults, who "liked to watch the dear little things." Finally, 
after the pastor had, through a teacher-training class, created 



THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 43 

a sentiment for better things, the adults came to see that the 
main thing was not vjhat they wanted, but what the children 
needed, and thereafter, for the whole Sunday-school time, the 
children were kept in their own rooms, where graded programs 
and better teaching were possible. The superintendent of the 
primary department was assisted by a secretary and a pianist, 
and had a teacher for each group of five to ten children. She 
took a general course in teacher-training, and made it a point 
to read everything she could find on primary work in books and 
periodicals. She attended Sunday-school conventions and insti- 
tutes, and talked with other primary workers. She held a con- 
ference with her teachers and officers, once a month, for the 
making of plans and for study. She made it her busines to find 
and train teachers for her department. Later, when the new 
Sunday-school house was built, she had an assembly-room for 
her department, with permanent partitions and solid, hinged 
doors, opening into a corridor. Opening into this assembly-room, 
were six classrooms, with solid partitions and doors. There was 
also a secretary's room, coat-room and a toilet-room. Proper at- 
tention was given to the lighting, heating, and ventilation. In 
the assembly-room were a rug, small chairs, a piano, a superin- 
tendent's desk, Scripture and song rolls, a blackboard, and pic- 
tures, with a harmonious blending of soft, restful colors. Also 
there was a cabinet, containing models, plasticine, illustrative 
objects, sand, mission curios, and the like. In each classroom, 
there were a rug, low table, small chairs, pictures, sand-trays, 
blackboard, and handwork materials. 

4. Program and Scripture Alphabet. The good primary 
superintendent is always looking for program suggestions. She 
has a carefully prepared outline, and varies this from Sunday 
to Sunday. Special programs are arranged for special days and 
occasions. She writes out her programs, and keeps them in a 
loose-leaf note-book. "On one side of the sheet, is written the 
program, and on the other a brief summary of the day's doings, 
such as attendance, offering, weather, birthdays and new pupils. 
The program is so constructed as to provide for both instruc- 
tion and expression. See chapter, The Sunday Program, in part 
three. One successful primary superintendent makes good use of 
Scripture alphabets in her programs. The verse is taught in con- 
nection with a large initial letter, about eight inches high, cut 
out of cardboard. The teacher holds up the letter and drills the 
pupils on the verse, taking one each Sunday until the alphabet 



44 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

is learned, reviewing verses previously learned. Always in 
teaching a new verse, she seeks through question, story and 
explanation, to make it rich in meaning to the pupils. One of 
her alphabets, in part, is the following: A — A soft answer turn- 
eth away wrath; B — Be ye kind one to another; C— Children, 
obey your parents ; D — Do good to them that hate you ; E — Even 
a child is known by his doings; F- — Freely ye have received, 
freely give; G — God is love; H — Honor thy father and thy 
mother; I — I am the light of the world; J — Jesus wept; K — 
Keep thy tongue from evil ; L — Love one another. 

5. Various Suggestions. A paragraph may be devoted to a 
few other suggestions. (1) Graded lessons. In the beginners' 
department, the child was introduced to God as a loving father. 
Now he is taught more about the power, love and care of this 
heavenly Father, and is led into effort to please him through 
right conduct in connection w T ith others. Graded lessons should 
be used here, as in the beginners' department, even though the 
Uniform lessons may be used in other departments. (2) Home 
activities. The Sunday-school teacher should seek to secure 
the cooperation of the home in teaching the child lessons in self- 
control, forbearance, and helpfulness. The child should be 
trained in loving participation in the daily home tasks, and ac- 
count should be taken of this in the Sunday-school. Talk with 
the parents occasionally. (3) Day-school help. As a Sunday- 
school teacher, you should cooperate with the day-school teacher. 
Take account of what the day-school is doing for your pupils, 
and be grateful for it. Build upon it. Visit your pupils' day- 
school, and have the teacher there to visit your class. (4) Sup- 
ply catalogues. For many suggestions, and for materials, write 
for catalogues to the denominational and independent supply 
houses. Models, and other illustrative materials, may be had 
from Wm. H. Deitz and Co., Chicago, Illinois. Clay and sand 
may be had from Thomas Charles and Co., Chicago, or from A. 
Flanagan Co., Chicago. (5) Program materials. For suitable 
prayers, songs, pictures, and other program materials, consult 
the references at the close of this chapter. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. How does your own primary department measure 
up to the ideal of this chapter? What ought to be your next advance 
step? Plan to visit soon the best primary department of which you 
have heard. Do not fail to read at least one good book on primary 



THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 45 

work every three months. See that your department has fair repre- 
sentation in the workers' library of your Sunday-school. You cannot 
afford to neglect the opportunities afforded by the "primary union," 
the Sunday-school convention, and the primary conferences. Are you 
giving- your best to your pupils? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the egoism of middle childhood. (2) 
What can you say of the reasoning in the primary department? (3) 
Make a suggestion relative to the play interests of middle childhood. 

(4) How may the emotions be trained in the primary department? 

(5) Make suggestions as to rooms and equipment in the primary de- 
partment. (6) What of program and records in the primary depart- 
ment? (7) Discuss the use of Scripture in the primary department. 
(8) Discuss home and day-school activities in connection with the 
primary department. 

3. References. Laraoreaux, "The Unfolding Life," chapter 5; 
Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 4; Kirkpatrick, "The 
Individual in the Making," chapter 7; Archibald, "The Primary 
Department;" Jacobs-Lincoln, "The Elementary Worker and His 
Work;" Leyda, "Carols;" Hofer, "Primary and Junior Songs for the 
Sunday School;" DuBois, "The Point of Contact in Teaching;" Ath- 
earn, "The Church School," chapter G — especially valuable for list of 
suitable songs and books and pictures. 



46 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VIII 

BOYS AND GIRLS 

Boys and girls about nine, ten, eleven, and twelve years of 
age, grades four to seven in the day-school, are in what is 
known as the period of later childhood, and they constitute the 
junior department in the Sunday-school. If the Sunday-school 
has trouble with the pupils in this period, it is due to lack of 
understanding, intelligent control, and good teaching. A teacher 
of a class of juniors indicated her unfitness for her task when 
she exclaimed, "Oh, those boys!" 

1. What Juniors Are Like. No two juniors are exactly alike, 
but, at the same time, every one of them is very much like all 
the others in many important respects. (1) Health. Juniors 
seldom die, and are not often sick. Their general good health 
is due probably to their slow growth and to their outdoor life. 
"The infinite number of sensory motor activities already being 
carried on are developed and better coordinated." Juniors are 
full of do and dash and daring. They seem never to get tired. 
Their abounding energies are the dread and despair of the un- 
trained teacher, but the delight and inspiration of the one that 
understands them. (2) Perception. Kirkpatrick says: "During 
this period the child's power of perception is further refined and 
developed by repeated observation in the case of familiar objects 
and by experience with new objects. In the case of new objects 
the child usually notices the object as a whole or some striking 
characteristic of it. Only gradually does he learn to analyze 
and perceive essential characteristics." In some respects, the 
junior's perception of objects is more accurate than that of the 
adult. (3) Imagination. The junior's imagination is becoming 
stronger, and, at the same time, more controlled, and more 
practical. He is able now to distinguish more accurately be- 
tween fact and fancy, and sometimes, therefore, he is said to be 
in the "literal age." "In order that the child may become ac- 
quainted with the world beyond the immediate surroundings, he 



BOYS AND GIRLS 47 

must no longer arrange simply according to his fancy, but must 
learn to represent accurately according to description." He 
needs thorough training in constructive imagination. He needs 
to be helped to form accurate images, and to arrange them cor- 
rectly. This may be done through models, pictures, maps, dia- 
grams, objects, and words. (4) Memory. The memory is get- 
ting considerably stronger, particularly for words and facts. 
Kirkpatrick says: "It is probable that there is no real change 
in the capacity to receive and reproduce new impressions, but 
only in the ability to group and recall them and to assist memory 
by knowledge." The junior's memory for abstract truths, how- 
ever, is weak, and this particularly needs to be trained. Care 
should be exercised, therefore, not to overload his memory with 
mere words and sentences and facts. He should be helped to 
memorize those choice selections of Scripture, beautiful poems, 
standard hymns, and biblical facts that he will likely need to 
use frequently, and they should be made rich in meaning to him 
in the memorizing. (5) Reason. The junior's ideas of truth 
"are still closely related to his practical experiences, to the 
experiences of others of whom he has heard, and to the opinions 
of those around him." He has acquired a great number of gen- 
eral truths, and holds them in some sort of relation, but he has 
not yet formed accurate abstract ideas to any great extent. 
There is likely to be some playful reasoning activity, which pre- 
pares the way for the more serious reasoning of the next period. 
(6) Emotions. "The primitive emotions that are already pres- 
ent, remain and become connected with various objects and 
experiences and combine in various ways, but there is no dis- 
tinctively new instinctive emotion unless it be that of rivalry, 
which becomes very prominent during this period." The emo- 
tions may be developed gradually through good teaching. (7) 
Will. Greater power of control is being acquired over physical 
movements and mental images. The will power may be de- 
veloped "through doing with concentration things that can be 
done effectively, for ends that are increasingly remote and 
that require the coordination of many activities before they 
can be secured." Do not do for the juniors, but help them 
in their own thinking, games, and expressive activities. (8) 



48 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Religion. The statistics seem to indicate that the first great 
religious awakening occurs in this period, and that most 
of our efficient Christians consider that they were con- 
verted before the thirteenth year, though many of them did 
not join the church until later. With proper teaching, prob- 
ably most of our juniors would come into the church as 
intelligent Christians. Juniors should be helped to form the 
habits of attention, courtesy, reverence, industry, neatness, 
promptness, church going, praying, Bible study, and the like. 
They should be taught respect for law through obedience of 
rules and regulations. 

2. Things That Interest Juniors. The juniors have many 
interests. (1) Other juniors. They are still self -centered to 
a considerable extent, but their social impulses are becoming 
stronger, and they like to be with others of their own age, so 
they are willing to yield their own way in part, for the sake of 
companionship, and will play more according to rule. Team 
play now becomes possible. This "gang spirit" should be util- 
ized by organizing the class with name, motto, officers, and 
duties, under the indirect control of the teacher, and through 
group play and class work. (2) Doing. Juniors are interested 
in doing and making. They like to watch others do things, and 
they like to do things themselves. It is thus mainly that they 
learn and it is thus they find pleasurable outlet for their 
abounding energies. Now is the time for the teacher to do com- 
paratively little talking and to make much of pupil activities, 
doing his teaching mainly through the work and the play of the 
pupils. (3) Outdoors. The boys are becoming greatly inter- 
ested in baseball, basket-ball, football, hunting, jumping, run- 
ning, swimming, fishing, exploring, collecting, and sometimes in 
fighting. One reason why the teacher of junior boys should be 
a man if possible, is that he can enter into and direct their out- 
door activities. He should help to plan their games, and should 
take them for a tramp in the woods occasionally. The girls are 
interested in walking, running, collecting, croquet, brevet, volley- 
ball, and other outdoor activities. (4) Ideals. Ideal imitation 
is becoming strong, and the one who can outdo him is his 
hero. He becomes a hero-worshiper in the latter part of the 



BOYS AND GIRLS 49 

period, and his hero is the one who does things. The teacher 
who can do things better than the pupils will be their hero, and 
the best doer in the class will be the natural leader. The stories 
of Bible heroes should be so presented as to glorify right doing. 
(5) Reading. The junior now, for the first time, is able to read 
rapidly and with pleasure, and is particularly interested in 
books that deal with nature and animals in an attractive way, 
in brief biographies of the world's great doers, and in stories 
that abound in action. See list of books in chapter ten of part 
three. Also see "Selected Books for Boys," Kern, Y. M. C. A. 
Press, 124 East 28th Street, New York; "Books That Girls 
Like," Brooklyn Public Library; and a valuable list for both 
sexes in Athearn's "The Church School." (6) Memorizing. 
Juniors are now able to memorize sentences and facts with 
pleasure. The following Scripture passages are suitable: Matt. 
5:1-17; 6:9-13, 25-34; 7:7-12; 13:3-8; 22:35-40; 25:1-29; Ex 
20:1-17; John 10:1-11; 15:1-17; Luke 15; 1 Cor. 13; James 
3:1-12; Prov. 4:14-19; Ec. 12:1-7; Isa. 53; Ps. 1, 8, 19, 23, 34, 
90, 91, 95, 100, 103, 117, 121, 146. The following hymns have 
been recommended for memorizing: Holy, Holy, Holy — Heber; 
Doxology — Ken; Nearer, My God, to Thee — Adams; Faith of 
Our Fathers, Living Still— Faber; The Son of God Goes Forth 
to War — Heber; Come, Thou Almighty King — Wesley; My 
Faith Looks Up to Thee — Palmer; Jesus Shall Reign Where'er 
the Sun — Watts ; We've a Story to Tell to the Nations — Sterne ; 
Jesus, Lover of My Soul — Wesley; Blest Be the Tie that Binds 
— Fawcett; Who Is on the Lord's Side? — Havergal; What a 
Friend We Have in Jesus — Scriven; Onward, Christian Soldiers 
— B aring- Gould ; All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name — Perronet. 

3. Some Departmental Suggestions. There are many things 
in the preceding chapters and in parts two and three of this 
book that apply to the juniors, but it seems advisable to offer 
some brief suggestions here. (1) Organization. The juniors 
should be organized into a junior department, with a corps of 
officers and teachers, and with graded program, lessons, and 
equipment. (2) Superintendent. The superintendent may be 
either a man or a woman, according to circumstances, but, in 
either case, should be one that will take training and study 



50 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

particularly the junior problems. (3) Teachers. Ideally, there 
will be four grades, and at least eight teachers, but a very small 
school may need to place all the juniors into one or two classes. 
The graded lessons include a biographical study of the Bible, 
and the study of the Bible by books. For a discussion of teach- 
ing methods, see later chapters. (4) Grades. If the school is 
too small to admit of at least four teachers, it may be necessary 
to combine two or more grades, and to use only part of the 
graded lessons each year. (5) Equipment. There should be a 
separate assembly-room, with rug, chairs, blackboard, piano, 
superintendent's table or desk, pictures on the walls, and a cabi- 
net for materials. There should be a complete classroom 
for each class, with rug, table, chairs, pictures, maps, black- 
board, models, and handwork materials. (6) Program. Have a 
program that meets the needs of juniors and that is in itself 
teaching. See chapter three in part three. If there is not a 
separate assembly-room for the juniors, and they must meet with 
the rest of the school for the opening service, then see that it is a 
junior service occasionally. (7) Sexes. In arranging the classes, 
separate the boys and girls if possible, as their interests are get- 
ting to be different to some extent, and the girls are developing 
more rapidly than the boys. They are taller and heavier than 
the boys, and seem to learn more quickly. (8) Records. Keep 
full and accurate individual records, marking each pupil on 
attendance, punctuality, handwork, conduct, church attend- 
ance, and the like. (9) Days. Make much of special days. See 
chapter seven in part three. (10) Conferences. A monthly de- 
partmental conference for training and cooperation is essential 
to the best work. The superintendent should not fail to be 
present at the monthly officers' conference. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A superintendent says: "A few years ago, we had 
a class of junior boys in our Sunday-school who would have truly 
tried the patience of Job. They had no respect for God or man. No 
teacher could manage them. Woman after woman gave them tip in 
despair. We tried everything we knew, but failed, and finally we 
sent two of the worst boys home and asked them not to come back. 
Of course we lost those two boys, and also the parents of one of 



BOYS AND GIRLS 51 

them." Who was responsible for this failure and the loss of those 
two boys? Could they have been saved to the school and to Christ 
and the church? How? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the junior's health. (2) Discuss the 
junior's perception and imagination. (3) What of the junior's memory 
and reason? (4) What can you say of the junior's emotions and will? 
(5) Discuss the junior's religion. (6) Name some of the things that 
interest juniors. (7) Give some departmental suggestions. (8) Illus- 
trate some point in the chapter. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 5; 
Athearn, "The Church School," chapter 7; KirKpatrick, "The Indi- 
vidual in the Making," chapter 7; Robinson, "The Junior Worker and 
His Work;" Raffety, "Brothering the Boy;" McKeever, "Training the 
Boy" and "Training the Girl;" Puffer, "The Boy and His Gang;" 
Merrill, "Winning the Boy;" Harrison, "Misunderstood Children;" 
Winchester, "Worship and Song." 



52 



SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 




Class of Boys in Intermediate Department 



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Class of Girls in Intermediate Department 



THE INTERMEDIATES 53 



CHAPTER IX 

THE INTERMEDIATES 

Pupils about thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen years of 
age, day-school grades eight to high school three, are known 
usually as intermediates, and constitute the intermediate depart- 
ment. This period of early adolescence needs to be studied 
most earnestly and intelligently. 

1. Trying Time of Transition. A perplexed mother, speak- 
ing of one of the finest of daughters, said: "I do not know 
what has come over Helen. She used to be the most obedient 
child I ever saw, but lately she does not seem to want to mind. 
She used to be industrious, and seemed to like to work, but now, 
she would rather sit around and read, and I have trouble get- 
ting her at her work at all. She used to have one of the sweet- 
est of dispositions, but now she gets out of humor on the least 
provocation. ,, The teacher who does not understand, is likely 
to be just as sorely perplexed by the phenomena of early ado- 
lescence as was this mother. The nature and importance of the 
changes of this period may be indicated in a discussion of three 
words. (1) Crisis. It has been called a time of "stress and 
storm/' but it need not be that necessarily if the intermediate 
is dealt with sympathetically and helpfully. It is a time of 
crisis, and there is great danger that both the physical and the 
mental balance will be upset. (2) Inconsistencies. It has been 
called a time of "many moods," of apparent inconsistencies, of 
sudden contrasts in behavior — of goodness and badness, of activ- 
ity and inactivity, of weeping and giggling, of boldness and shy- 
ness, of sympathy and cruelty, of altruism and selfishness. If 
the teacher once comes to understand that these apparent incon- 
sistencies are perfectly normal, he will not take them too seri- 
ously, and will be patient. (3) Readjustment. The intermedi- 
ate has just developed a conscious self, and this must be indi- 
vidualized. He has a new self with which to get acquainted. 
He has before him a serious problem of readjustment. Pupils, 
in this transition period, are no longer boys and not yet men, 
no longer girls and not yet women. They are having more 
trouble with themselves than their parents and teachers are 



54 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

having with them. There are marked changes in all the special 
sensations, particularly the organic sensations. Says Kirk- 
patrick: "Changes in absolute and relative size of the body 
and its various organs, and changes in the rate and intensity of 
the physiological processes of respiration, circulation and nutri- 
tion, together with the development of almost wholly new or- 
gans, must produce profound changes in the organic sensations 
that form the background of consciousness.' ' 

2. Physical and Mental Growth. The significance of the 
growth in this period may be briefly indicated. (1) Physical. 
The rate of bodily growth now is more rapid than at any time 
except during infancy, and, in the earlier part of the period, 
the girls are taller and heavier than the boys. This rapid 
growth is in part accountable for the tendency to "laziness." 
During this time of rapid growth, the boys are likely to be ac- 
cused by their elders of "clumsiness," and the girls of "sloppi- 
ness." This awkwardness is due in part to lack of correlation 
in growth of bones, muscles, and tendons, and to imperfect con- 
nections between various sense and motor-centers. It is due in 
part to embarrassment, when they are outside their own proper 
world, and when they are scolded or ridiculed. They are not 
particularly awkward when doing what they like to do, and 
know how to do. There is need now for a great variety of 
motor activity, but always under competent direction. They 
need manual work and athletics. The appetite greatly increases 
now, and there is need for plenty of wholesome, nourishing food. 
In the first of this period, the sexes seem to draw away from 
each other, but, by the close, there is attraction between the 
sexes, with a tendency to personal adornment. The tendency to 
pair off should not be encouraged, but the sexes should mingle 
freely and naturally, under proper restriction, and there should 
be wise sex instruction. (2) Mental. Memory is becoming more 
logical, and better serves practical purposes. There are more 
concepts, and they are concerned, to a greater extent, with rela- 
tions and general truths. The reasoning is becoming more ab- 
stract. So there is a place in the teaching for definitions and rules, 
but always in connection with the concrete. There is an interest 
in practical science, in learning to do things by doing them. There 
is a tendency to over statement and wide generalizations, and 
these should be put to the test. The imagination in early and 
middle childhood was playful and fanciful, and had to do with 
the past; the imagination in later childhood was practically 



THE INTERMEDIATES 55 

constructive, and had to do with the present; the imagination 
of early adolescense is personally creative, and has to do with 
the future. An important part of the work of the teacher there- 
fore is to help the pupil into right ideals by a stimulation of the 
imagination through stories and biography, through good litera- 
ture, and through proper associations. There is a tendency in 
this period to become "visionary," and this may be guarded 
against "by providing for a large amount of objective activity 
in competition, and especially in cooperation, with others." 

3. Self-Consciousness and Independence. The new conscious- 
ness of self and the growing independence of the adolescent 
are apparent to any careful observer. (1) Self -consciousness. 
The changes in the parts of the body, the changes in the sensa- 
tions, and the changes in instinctive behavior all tend to attract 
attention to self. This self-consciousness may develop into an 
undue timidity or a dangerous morbidity. The cure is threefold. 
a. Provide many objective interests. Keep the intermediates 
busy. b. Provide proper companionship. They should not be 
too much alone, as they are likely to be despondent, c. Pro- 
vide daily program, with certain hours for study, play, and 
practice, that they may be kept from "mooning" and "dawdling." 
(2) Independence. "Why don't you do what your sister wants 
you to do, dear?" This question was asked of a thirteen- 
year-old daughter by her mother. "Oh, I would, Mama, if she 
weren't so bossy." A fifteen-year-old son did not get out of bed 
when his father ordered him to do so, and, when the father came 
at him with a broom, he grabbed it, and a fight ensued. That 
day, the son ran away from home. Intermediates will not sub- 
mit gracefully to bossing from anybody. They are beginning to 
be men and women, and they want more to think and do for 
themselves. This growing independence should be recognized, 
and they should be managed now, not so much by commands but 
more by indirection, by persuasion, by consultation, by tactful 
appeal to the developed selfhood. Commandments should give 
place to council and conference. 

4. Morals and Religion. Pupils now become more consciously 
moral or immoral. Volitional activity is rather unstable at the 
beginning of the period, due to the necessary readjustment of 
relations between nerve centers, and there is necessity for mak- 
ing many decisions. Intermediates should be held to certain 
standards of morals and conduct, and yet should be allowed con- 



56 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

siderable freedom. Many conversions occur during this period, 
and many hear the call of God to definite Christian service — 
to become missionaries, religious specialists, social uplift work- 
ers, Sunday-school teachers, and the like. The latter part of 
the period particularly is likely to be a time of religious awak- 
ening. These pupils may be strongly influenced now through 
the public sentiment of the class. Their egoism may become 
merged into class spirit and loyalty to the Sunday-school and 
the church. They may be powerfully influenced by example. 
The spirit of hero worship is even stronger than in the pre- 
ceding period. Not only are they attracted by heroic deeds, 
but they are getting better able to discern heroic character. 
The girls greatly need the friendship of some good woman, and 
the boys that of some man of worthy character. One of these 
intermediates, in connection with his lesson, was asked to name 
two of the greatest men in the world, and he wrote the name 
of his father and that of a Sunday-school specialist who had 
recently spoken in his Sunday-school and visited in his home. 
In speaking of the latter to his mother, he said, "Say, Mama, do 
you think I ever could be like Dr. Blank?" To another of these 
intermediates, the Christ had been presented in a way to make 
him appear as the greatest of heroes, and one day his teacher 
asked, "Edward, what do you think of Jesus, anyway?" And 
the answer was, "Oh, I think he is just fine." 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. It is said that only about ten per cent of the big 
boys are in the Sunday-school, and, of those we do get into the inter- 
mediate department, we lose seventy- five per cent. Find out why 
some boy has left this department. A fully organized intermediate 
department has its own corps of officers and teachers; its own sep- 
arate assembly-room, with classrooms; its own graded opening and 
closing services, graded lessons, graded equipment, graded materials. 
In some of the larger Sunday-schools, where all the classes in the 
intermediate department are well- organized, the big boys' classes 
constitute a sub- division of the department with "director of boys' 
division," and the girls are similarly organized, with a "director of 
girls' division." Some would combine all the classes in both inter- 
mediate and senior departments into a "teen-age" department. The 
whole teen-age period is receiving much thoughtful attention; and 
many suggestions are being offered. Even in a very small Sunday- 
school, there should be at least two classes of intermediates, the 
sexes being divided. For further suggestions relative to work with 
intermediates see preceding and later chapters. 



THE INTERMEDIATES 57 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the trying- time of transition. (2) 
Discuss the physical growth of intermediates. (3) Discuss the mental 
growth of intermediates. (4) What can you say of the intermediate's 
self-consciousness? (5) How should the teacher deal with the grow- 
ing independence of the intermediate? (5) Discuss the morals and 
religion of intermediates. 

3. References. Athearn, "The Church School," chapter 8; Weigle, 
"The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 6; Cope, "Efficiency in the 
Sunday School," chapter 14; Kirkpatrick, "The Individual in the Mak- 
ing," chapter 8; Lewis, "The Intermediate Worker and His Work;" 
Forbush, "Church Work With Boys;" Alexander, "The Sunday School 
and the Teens;" Slattery, "The Girl in Her Teens" and "The Girl and 
Her Religion;" Hall, "From Youth into Manhood;" Coe, "Education 
in Religion and Morals" and "The Spiritual Life;" MacCunn, "The 
Making of Character;" Latimer, "Girl and Woman;" Hall, "Youth." 



SENIORS AND ADULTS 59 



CHAPTER X 

SENIORS AND ADULTS 

Pupils seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and- twenty years of age 
are known as seniors in the Sunday-school, and those twenty-one 
years of age and over are called adults. They are considered 
together in this chapter, for the sake of convenience. 

1. Importance of Physical Life. In the senior period, the 
body is coming to maturity. "The physical energy that before 
was needed for growth, can now be turned into activity and the 
development of strength." This is the age when athletes de- 
velop, reaching their best in the middle twenties. The Sunday- 
school need not consider that its mission is to develop athletes, 
but at the same time it should recognize the close relation be- 
tween the mental and the physical, and should appreciate the 
attractive power of athletics. (1) Young men. Athletics should 
have an important place in their classes, both in the senior and 
adult departments. A wide-awake pastor in a small town or- 
ganized a class of young men in his Sunday-school, with ath- 
letics as a feature, and, through an intelligent interest in the 
physical welfare of the young men, made himself the most 
potent influence in their lives. Incidentally, he put an end to 
Sunday baseball in the community, and to betting and profanity 
in connection with the games. The author was the teacher of an 
Agoga class of one hundred young men, from seventeen to 
twenty-one years of age, that had football, basket-ball, and 
baseball teams, and a tennis club. Match games were played 
with other Sunday-school teams. Many young men were thus 
attracted to the class, and the teacher, through his interest 
in athletics, acquired an influence over young men that became 
a considerable factor in the community in the promotion of 
clean athletics and clean living. (2) Young women. An Amoma 
class, in a town of two thousand, maintained a tennis club and 
a gymnasium class, and, in the summer, a camp on a creek 
about fifteen miles distant. Each morning, the young women 
had a Bible study hour, and, in the evening, a short vesper ser- 
vice was held. The camping, not only helped them physically, 
but helped them in their religious lives. Not all the members of 



(30 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

any class, either young men or young women, will be interested 
in athletics probably, but all should be taught the sacredness 
of the human body, and should be given practical hints as to 
food and exercise; and, with young women, this is especially 
important. 

2. Love and Home-Making. "Before I became a teacher, I 
was in a class of about sixteen young women of senior age. It 
seemed impossible sometimes for the teacher to get our atten- 
tion. Our minds were full of other things than the lesson. If 
our teacher had dropped the lesson occasionally and talked to us 
about our love affairs, I believe that we should have given better 
attention to the lesson. " The good teacher will be interested in 
the love affairs of the pupils, and will have many opportuni- 
ties, in the class and in private, to inculcate sensible ideas with 
regard to love and marriage. In the latter part of the senior 
period, the young person is likely to fall in love and to begin to 
plan for the making of a home. It will be well occasionally 
if a sensible physician can be induced to talk to the class on 
problems of sex and home-making. Occasionally, the teacher 
may put into the hands of the pupil a good book, dealing with 
these vital questions. Class discussions may prove helpful. The 
author once devoted a lesson period, in a class of young men, 
to the discussion of "The Ideal Wife." The young men were 
greatly interested, asking questions and making suggestions, 
and they must have been helped. In a class of young married 
people, there might be a course of lessons on "Home-Making in 
the Bible." A class of mothers might use as a text such a 
book as St. John's "Child Nature and Child Nurture" or Kirk- 
patrick's "Fundamentals of Child Study." "The religious na- 
ture is enriched by the cultivation of the human affections, 
and the church can well afford to direct its energies to creating 
those conditions which favor normal love-making and mating. 
The instinct to found a home and live for one's family is sacred, 
and the care and interest of the church should be round about 
the youth at the mating time, safeguarding them from danger 
and cultivating the highest ideals of marriage, home and parent- 
hood. Every new home established should have the benediction 
of the church and the new family should be received into the 
warm and loving fellowship of the homes in the congregation." 

3. Doubts and Problems. The senior period has been char- 
acterized as one of doubts, and the adult period as one of prob- 
lems. (1) Senior doubts. The senior finds that the dreams of early 



SENIORS AND ADULTS 61 

adolescence are impossible of fulfillment; and, as he faces the 
grim realities of life, he finds that he was mistaken in his ideas 
of many things. Possibly he finds that his early religious con- 
ceptions will not stand the test. It may be that he cannot recon- 
cile his faith with his life, or his new science with his old re- 
ligion. His science may be wrong, and his early religious train- 
ing might have been superficial, but, in any event, he is inclined 
now to test everything by his active reasoning powers and to 
confront troublesome doubts. He is impatient of mysteries. 
He is unifying his conceptions and forming his life-creed. More- 
over, the senior is likely to neglect the means of religious cul- 
ture, since he is now in a position to do more as he pleases. 
It is easy to stay away from religious services. Possibly he 
will have his "fling," sow his "wild oats." This is the great 
crime period. It is the danger period. When he enters his 
twenty-first year, he crosses the "danger-line" in religion. 
Less than one-sixth of all conversions take place after twenty, 
and less than one-half of the one-sixth after twenty-five. The 
Sunday-school should wisely and courageously meet the needs 
of these young people, winning, holding and training them 
through organized class methods, and through a teaching that 
meets their doubts sympathetically and reasonably. This is the 
time for the thorough, systematic teaching of religious funda- 
mentals, and for teacher-training and mission study classes. It 
is the time for enlisting in definite Christian activity. (2) 
Adult problems. The teacher of adults should have a 
sympathetic understanding of their problems. Some of them 
may not have recovered from the doubts of the later teens, or 
they may be entering a period of doubt. They may have read a 
book or listened to a lecture that shook the foundations of their 
faith, and they need assistance in readjustment and reconstruc- 
tion. Others may be wrestling with the problem of right 
living. They want to do right, but it is difficult sometimes to 
know what is right, and to do the right thing when others 
around them are doing wrong. Possibly they have sown "wild 
oats" in the past and now are reaping the crop in weakened 
bodies and minds, and in loss of self-confidence or community 
respect. Many are perplexed with the problems of child rear- 
ing. Then there are those who find it difficult to make both 
ends meet financially, those who seem to have more than their 
share of sorrows, those who have domestic infelicities, and those 
who have other problems. Whatever the problems of adults, the 



62 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Sunday-school should help to solve them, through graded courses 
of study and through vital teaching. 

4. Organization and Work. Some brief suggestions are of- 
fered. (1) Departments. The seniors should be organized into 
a department, with at least one class of young men and one 
of young women, with a superintendent and other officers, and 
with a separate assembly-room and classrooms. So with the 
adults. The two departments may meet together for a brief 
opening service if there are not two assembly-rooms. Each 
classroom should have a rug, table, chairs, blackboard, maps, 
pictures, Bibles, etc. (2) Activities. An organized class may 
do any one or more of the following things: Have a hand- 
shaking committee ; furnish ushers for various occasions ; hold 
religious services in jails, hospitals, and other institutions; 
maintain a reading room; conduct an employment bureau; man- 
age a class benefit fund ; publish a bulletin ; train Sunday-school 
teachers; arrange a lecture course; take charge of a church 
service occasionally; build Sunday-school rooms; distribute invi- 
tations; conduct boys' clubs and mission Sunday-schools; have a 
class quartet, glee club, or orchestra. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. "In our Sunday-school in the country, we have 
an organized class of young- men and women, called The White Tigers. 
Our motto is S and T, strong and true. It has been a splendid class 
for several years." "Our adult class met at the home of the teacher, 
elected officers and selected a name and form of organization. Now 
we meet regularly once a month, at the homes of the different mem- 
bers, for a social evening. The hostess serves refreshments, and each 
pays ten cents, which goes into a fund for picnics, flowers for the 
sick, special offerings for the Sunday-school, etc. There has been a 
great improvement in our class since we organized and went to work." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the Sunday-school and the physical 
life of young men. (2) What can the Sunday-school do for the physi- 
cal life of young women? (3) Discuss the relation of the Sunday- 
school to home-making. (4) Discuss the senior's doubts. (5) What 
is the relation of the Sunday-school to adult problems? (6) Discuss 
organization and work in the senior and adult departments. 

3. References. Athearn, "The Church School," chapters 9, 10, 11; 
Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapters 20, 21; Weigle, 
"The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 7; Lewis, "The Senior Worker 
and His Work;" Barclay, "The Adult Worker and His Work;" Pearce, 
"The Adult Bible Class;" Bomberger, "The Why and How of the 
Organized Adult Bible Class;" Coe, "The Religion of a Mature Mind;" 
Cope, "The Efficient Layman;" Wood, "Adult Class Study." 



Part II 

The Teacher— Pedagogy 



THE TEACHER'S PERSONALITY 65 



CHAPTER I 

THE TEACHER'S PERSONALITY 

Next to religion, the chief thing in a teacher is personality. 
One teacher succeeds, and another fails. They are equally Chris- 
tian and talented. The difference is mainly in personality. 
One of them has an attractive personality, and the other has 
not. Prof. W. C. Bagley, of the University of Illinois, sent out 
a questionnaire, and from answers returned by one hundred 
representative educators, he selected ten words which, in their 
judgment, indicate the elements in a winning personality. Let 
us consider these ten words. 

1. Scholarship. Jesus, the Great Teacher, spoke with au- 
thority because he had genuine scholarship. It may be said 
that scholarship includes the following: (1) Knowledge. How- 
ever good a teacher may be, he cannot teach unless he has some- 
thing to teach. A good Sunday-school teacher must have a fair 
knowledge of the Bible and of other materials of religious edu- 
cation. He must know also teaching methods, which involves a 
knowledge of human nature. He must have a knowledge of 
matter and method. (2) Understanding. The teacher must 
know matter and method in their meanings. His knowledge 
must be more than a mere catalogue of facts and dates and 
rules. It must be properly related, systematized, coordinated. 
It is knowledge plus wisdom. (3) Reasoning . The teacher may 
have completed a training course and have read books. This 
is necessary, but not sufficient. He must be mentally alert, 
alive in his head, and must have trained himself to think 
through his problems. He may not have a big brain, but he 
uses what he has. This teacher thinks so much of his Lord 
and his pupils and his opportunity that he is not content to 
come to the class with less than his best. I had a teacher like 
that once, and I used to sit in his class and weep sometimes 
when there seemed to be no occasion for it. It was the man 
himself, his convincing preparedness, his mental and moral 
worth, that appealed to the emotions as well as to the intellect. 

2. Sincerity. A few suggestions may be offered to the young 
teacher. (1) Be yourself. The Lord cannot use you unless you 



66 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

are present. When you are trying to be somebody else, you are 
not present, and the other man is not present either. In the late 
'teens, I read a number of biographies of great men. As I read 
the life of a famous man, I longed to be, and hoped that I might 
be, like him, but, finally, the truth broke in upon me that it was 
never intended that I should be like any other individual, but 
that I ought to endeavor to be my own true self, trained and 
developed. And here again, I made a mistake. I had been 
welcoming all sorts of criticism, and quitting everything to 
which anybody objected. They said: "Don't yell when you 
talk," and I quit that. They said, "Don't tramp back and forth," 
and I quit that. "Don't stick your hands in your pockets," 
and I quit that. They said, "Don't run your hands through your 
hair," and I quit that. Then I began to realize that I had quit 
too many things. I had done so much trimming that there was 
not very much of me left, and I was becoming formal and imi- 
tative and ineffective. (2) Do your way. Dare to do things in 
your own way if, after thinking them through, in the light of 
the experiences of others, you are convinced that you are right. 
(3) Admit ignorance. Do not be afraid to say that you do not 
know when you do not, and to state a fact tentatively if you are 
not certain. "Bluff" may serve the demagogue, but it is out 
of place in a pedagogue. (4) Avoid cant. Steer clear of pious 
phrases and theological terms unless you are very sure you 
know what they mean, and that you mean them, and that they 
will mean something to your pupils. 

3. Appearance. One's personal appearance will have much 
to do with his success as a teacher. Appearance is dependent 
mainly on neatness, style, and taste. (1) Neatness. In this day 
of soaps, bath tubs, laundries, manicure sets, and shoe polish, 
there would seem to be little excuse for a teacher's failure to 
present an appearance of strictest neatness. (2) Style. To ig- 
nore styles and to dress as one pleases is to attract attention 
to one's own eccentricity instead of to the teaching, and to 
dress in the extreme of style will attract just as much attention, 
besides indicating a weak head and a bad heart. (3) Taste. It 
is an art to conform enough to the prevailing fashions in dress 
so as to avoid attracting attention and at the same time to 
express one's own individuality in becoming cut and color. 
Jesus was too good a teacher to make his garb conspicuous 
through bad taste, by its unusualness, or because of slovenliness. 
One thinks of him as an attractive, w T ell-dressed gentleman. 



THE TEACHER'S PERSONALITY 67 

4. Vitality. A good teacher gives the impression of alive- 
ness. He must not only be in earnest, but must seem to be in 
earnest. He must be physically, as well as morally, in earnest. 
There should be a certain vibrance ringing out in his voice, 
shining forth from his eyes, and asserting itself in his vigorous 
movements. This may be developed through attention to the fol- 
lowing: (1) Food. Some teachers are half starved, and others 
eat too much. One should learn to eat wholesome, nourishing 
foods, in moderate quantities. And, while he eats, he should 
seek to forget his cares and responsibilities, and he should not 
study his lesson immediately after a meal. Nor should he eat 
a hearty breakfast late Sunday morning, and hurry off to 
Sunday-school. (2) Exercise. It is sometimes difficult to man- 
age, but the teacher that would be at his best must take time 
for a reasonable amount of exercise in the open air every day. 
Among the forms of exercise suitable for most anybody, are 
walking, deep breathing, croquet, brevet, tennis, and volley-ball. 
(3) Sleep. The trouble with some teachers on Sunday morning 
is the same that we see in small children that have not had 
enough sleep. Some teachers are out too many evenings in the 
week, and up too late on Saturday night to be worth much on 
Sunday. 

5. Address. Another word might come more nearly to ex- 
pressing the thought, and that is geniality. A teacher should 
cultivate a smile and an interested, attentive manner when talk- 
ing to an individual and when before the class. He should look 
as if it were good to be alive and to see these pupils. The 
pupils should at least feel that the teacher means well by them, 
and they would never get that impression from frowns or an 
abstracted manner. 

6. Reserve. This is not opposed to friendliness. The teacher 
should be a companion to the pupils, and so demean himself that 
they will not be afraid of him. His pupils will be at ease with 
him and will confide in him. Many teachers have too much dig- 
nity, and are likely to be thinking more of saving their dignity 
than of saving their pupils, but at the same time there is neces- 
sary a certain degree of dignity and reserve in a teacher. He 
must not be a "joke" with his pupils. He must respect himself 
and believe in himself, and hold back a part of himself from the 
pupils. 



68 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

7. Fairness. A spirit of fairness in the teacher will win 
with the pupils. Some of the ways in which some teachers are 
unfair to pupils are the following: (1) Hold them up to the 
ridicule of the other members of the class; (2) Ask questions 
that are too hard or give examinations that are too difficult; 
(3) Fail to understand and appreciate their view-point; (4) 
Condemn them for the very things they see in him, as, for ex- 
ample, tardiness or imperfect preparation; (5) Neglect to make 
clear exactly what he expects of them in the way of immediate 
answers to questions or of lesson preparation. 

8. Enthusiasm. A teacher's enthusiasm may be expressed 
in some of the following ways: (1) Through hearty words of 
appreciation of pupils and their work; (2) Through regular 
and punctual attendance; (3) Through thorough lesson prepa- 
ration; (4) Through the confident expression of intelligent con- 
victions; (5) Through the expression of admiration for noble 
men and women; (6) Through cordial commendation of Chris- 
tian conduct and heroic action regardless of sect and party; 

(7) Through giving reasonable reign to emotional expression; 

(8) Through attitudes and actions that indicate a genuine ap- 
preciation of the importance of his work as a teacher. 

9. Sympathy. Sympathy in the teacher is dependent on the 
following: (1) An effort to put himself, so to speak, in the 
place of the pupils, and to ask himself what he would think, do, 
and want under the same circumstances; (2) An understanding 
of the pupils, and this comes through a study of genetic psy- 
chology and of the individuals in his class; (3) A developed 
imagination, that he may picture himself as the pupil; (4) A 
sense of humor, that will enable him to laugh at some things, 
and not take his pupils or himself too seriously. 

10. Optimism. A teacher should believe in his Lord, his 
pupils, himself, and his teaching. The following is a part of a 
conversation between a certain teacher and myself: "I have 
the finest class in Sunday-school." "What sort of class is it?" 
"A class of boys about twelve years of age." And the following 
is a part of a conversation with another teacher: "I have the 
meanest class to teach in the Sunday-school." "What sort of a 
class is it?" "A class of boys about twelve years of age." It 
is likely that there was not so much difference really between 
the two classes. The difference was in the teachers. The first 
class knew that the teacher believed in them, and that very fact 



THE TEACHER'S PERSONALITY 69 

helped them to be better, while the other class knew that the 
teacher thought they were "a bad lot," and that helped them 
to be worse. 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Think of the teacher you liked best. Did that 
teacher possess a personality with all the elements named in this 
chapter? Are all ten of these elements found in your own person- 
ality? Wherein are you weakest, and why? What then? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) What is the chief thing in the teacher's per- 
sonality? (2) What is involved in true scholarship? (3) Discuss sin- 
cerity in the teacher. (4) What is the teacher's duty with reference 
to his personal appearance? (5) How may the teacher cultivate 
vitality? (6) Discuss address and reserve in the teacher. (7) In what 
ways may a teacher be unfair? (8) How may the teacher express 
enthusiasm? (9) How may the teacher cultivate sympathy with his 
pupils? (10) Indicate the value of optimism in the teacher. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 21; 
Slattery, "Talks with the Training Class," chapter 10; Home, "The 
Psychological Principles of Education," chapter 4; Barnett, "Common 
Sense in Education and Teaching," chapter 12; Mark, "The Unfolding 
of Personality." 



70 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER II 

GETTING AND HOLDING ATTENTION 

Attention is an accompaniment of all states of consciousness. 
Attention is "the selective function of consciousness, serving to 
emphasize certain details and to ignore others." The nervous 
basis of attention is the selective preparation of certain cortical 
cells that makes them easier to arouse than others. 

1. Teacher Must Get Attention. A teacher was heard to say, 
"My pupils won't give attention." This teacher did not realize 
that the responsibility for attention rested mainly with himself, 
and not with the pupils. The good teacher assumes the respon- 
sibility for attention, and knows that he must get attention if 
he is to do any real teaching. The following suggestions are 
offered: (1) The teacher should realize that getting atten- 
tion is a part of good teaching. The better teacher he becomes, 
through training and experience, the more easily will he be able 
to solve the problem of attention. (2) The younger the pupils, 
the greater is the teacher's responsibility in getting attention, 
for the reason that they cannot, to any great extent, give volun- 
tary attention, that is willed attention. So the teacher must, 
through skilful teaching, get involuntary attention, that is un- 
willed attention. (3) The teacher is likely to have the attention 
of the pupils if he is an earnest student of child nature and 
understands the underlying mental laws and habits by which 
it is controlled. 

2. Removing Distractions. All pupils are giving attention 
to something all the time, except when they are asleep. That 
is, every conscious moment is a moment of attention. Just as 
the field of a camera has a focus where the picture is clear and 
a margin where it is blurred, so the field of consciousness has a 
focus and a margin. The object of attention has the mind 
focused upon it for the time being. The teacher and his teach- 
ing must be the object of the pupil's attention if there is to be 
any real teaching. But, in his efforts to get attention, the 
teacher has competition. All around, are voices calling to the 
pupils, "Here! Attention! Focus your consciousness upon me." 
Most of these distracting voices may be removed, as follows: 



GETTING AND HOLDING ATTENTION 71 

(1) Sights and sounds. Have your class in its own room, and 
thus shut out the sights and sounds of other classes. At least 
protect your class with a screen or curtain, and shut out the 
sights anyway. (2) Unsightly objects. The classroom should 
be kept in good order, free from dirt, old quarterlies and pa- 
pers, and all unsightly objects. (3) Bad air. A teacher's fight 
for attention against bad air is hopeless. Therefore he should 
see that the air in the room is kept fresh, and not too warm or 
too cold. (4) Improper seating. The seats should be comforta- 
ble, and so arranged that the pupils look into the face of the 
teacher. Little children are not likely to give attention when 
their feet are dangling in the air beneath high pews. (5) School 
itself. The school itself should be so organized and managed 
that the teaching will not be interfered with by collections, 
marking of records, and the distribution of literature. All these 
matters should be attended to either before or after the teach- 
ing period. (6) Teacher's self. Avoid affectations and peculiari- 
ties of dress and manner that attract attention to the teacher 
instead of to the teaching. Do not attract the pupil's attention 
to himself by asking him to listen or by reproving him. Do 
not use illustrative objects and stories in a way to attract atten- 
tion to the illustration, instead of to that which is illustrated. 

3. Interest as the Basis. The basis of attention is interest, 
and the bases of interest are instinct and habit. "What is at- 
tended to is determined by the purposes, the aims, the interests, 
the instinctive desires, that exist in consciousness, either dimly 
or clearly at the given time." Again: "We always attend to 
those details of an experience that have for us some interest or 
value." The pupil, then, gives attention to that which is inter- 
esting to him, to that which appears to him to have some 
value. One Sunday morning a teacher of a class of beginners 
found the children all filled with excitement over a balloon 
ascension which they had seen the day before. She 'saw there 
was no use trying to teach the lesson with that balloon before 
them. So she dropped the lesson for the time being, took hold 
of the balloon, and got that to going. Then she hitched the les- 
son on to the balloon, and sent them up together. Indeed this 
teacher did more than hitch the lesson on to the balloon; she 
turned the balloon into the lesson. That is, she made a lesson 
out of the balloon. The good teacher is in sympathetic touch 
with the interests of the pupils, and so will "present the les- 
sons in terms drawn from their life, and adapted to the needs 



72 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

they feel." This teacher knows the mental appetites of the 
pupils, and helps them to develop their appetites. He knows 
that these appetites, or interests, differ widely in different 
pupils, and that they differ in the same pupils as they pass 
from one stage of development to another. Some interests may 
be indicated as follows: (1) Beginners are interested in self, 
parents, brothers and sisters, playmates, domestic animals, 
toys and other familiar objects, insects and birds, flowers and 
plants, active play, and in their imaginary world; (2) Primary 
pupils are interested in home activities, other children, day- 
school, animals, concrete things, pictures, playing with others, 
and in acting the lesson; (3) Jimiors are interested in facts, puz- 
zles, one another, group activities, outdoor life, contests, heroic 
deeds of adults, reading and memorizing, and in making things; 
(4) Intermediates are interested in athletics, practical science, 
exceptional life, ideals, and in solving their own problems; (5) 
Seniors are interested in the opposite sex, finding their place in 
the world, abstract reasoning, religious problems; (6) Adults 
are interested in home-building, making a living, social life, the 
whole world, and in solving practical life problems. 

4. Developing Interests. The good teacher not only appeals 
to existing interests, instinctive and acquired, but seeks to de- 
velop in the pupil new interests, immediate and remote. He 
aims, more and more, to lead the pupil to attend to tasks that 
are not attractive in themselves by holding before him the idea 
of a good to be gained in the future. "And this is the funda- 
mental principle of human progress, this abilty to hold the at- 
tention to that which at present exists only as an aim to be 
achieved or an ideal to be realized." In voluntary attention, the 
mind of the pupil is active, is reaching out and laying hold in 
conscious effort, is in alert cooperation with the teacher, and so 
his character is being developed, for "all complicated modes of 
behavior are conditioned in their effectiveness by sustained and 
well-organized attention." The teacher may assist the pupil in 
developing interests in the following ways: (1) By example. 
The teacher must exemplify interest and active attention, 
both in preparation and in teaching. He must show, in 
his speech, his expression, and his movements that he 
is alive to the situation. He should look directly at his 
pupils and should speak as rapidly as is consistent with 
distinct and impressive utterance. He should exhibit phys- 
ical earnestness as well as moral earnestness, and should move 



GETTING AND HOLDING ATTENTION 73 

about as quickly as is consistent with self-possession. (2) 
By contact. The following from Weigle is in point here: "At- 
tention is, in fact, the focal point where past and present meet 
to determine a meaning. A repetition of the old and familiar, 
with no new element, cannot hold the attention and may even 
fail to arouse it to a passing look. A presentation of the abso- 
lutely new, with no link of connection with past experience, 
would fail just as completely, for it would be unintelligible. 
Neither the old alone nor the new alone can engage the atten- 
tion. The old alone is flat and stale, and is met mechanically 
by habit; the new alone is meaningless. But when we can 
brin^ the past to bear upon the present; when we can see the 
old in the new and the new in the old, the new giving life to 
the old, and the old giving meaning to the new — then interest 
awakens, the mind is alert and attention intent upon its prob- 
lem." (3) By variety. When a boy, I once lived for a time in 
a home where they had sweet potatoes to eat three times a day — 
and little else, except gravy. The potatoes were Yellow Yams, 
and they were very fine indeed, but, after having them three 
times a day, cooked the same way and served the same way, for 
six weeks, I got tired of sweet potatoes, and have never liked 
them since. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Discuss the following- statements from four of my 
correspondence students: (1) "Never wear out any one method of 
teaching 1 ." (2) "We have but one room, and cannot get any more." 
(3) "All of these distractions except bad air prevail here, and our 
Sunday-school is small and poor." (4) "We are trying to remove 
some of the distractions from our primary department. Our room is 
too small to accommodate our six classes, but we have the pupils in 
each class seated around a low table, facing the teacher, and each 
class is separated from the others by a folding screen during the les- 
son period. And the secretary is not allowed to interfere with the 
teaching. She moves about quietly from one class to another and 
marks the records from behind the screen without being seen." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Show that the teacher is mainly responsible 
for attention. (2) Name some distractions that ought to be removed 
from some school you know. (3) Discuss interest as the basis of at- 
tention. (4) Show how the teacher may help the pupils to develop 
interests and to give active attention. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 16; 
Slattery, "Talks with the Training Class," chapter 7; Kirkpatrick, 
"The Individual in the Making," chapter 2; Betts, "The Mind and Its 
Education," chapter 2, 



74 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER III 

THE GRADED LESSONS 

By graded lessons is meant lessons adapted to the varying 
needs of the pupils. In the school using graded lessons, the 
pupils in each grade have lessons that are different from those 
used in the other grades, there being as many different lessons, 
or selections of Scripture, as there are grades. 

1. Why Graded Lessons. The lessons should be graded be- 
cause God has graded both the pupils and the Bible. It is our 
part to fit the two together. How this is done may be indicated 
as follows: (1) In the beginners' department, ages about four 
and five, the pupil understands, or apperceives, truth in the 
light of his limited experiences in the home and with nature 
immediately about him, so the lesson materials for pupils of this 
age will consist of short, concrete stories that deal with simple 
human relations and with the wonders of nature, and that pre- 
sent God as the loving Father. Samples of suitable lessons in 
this period are A Baby in a Basket Boat, How God Fed Elijah, 
and A Story of the Baby Jesus. (2) The primary pupils, ages 
about six, seven and eight, apperceive truth in the light of their 
larger experiences in the day-school, and their problems arise in 
connection with children of their own age and with teachers as 
well as with the family group, so their lesson materials will 
consist of simple stories that present clear-cut moral issues and 
that teach obedience, kindness and helpfulness. Samples of 
suitable lessons are The Child Samuel in God's House, Joseph 
Obeying His Father, David's Care of the Sheep, How Abraham 
Stopped a Quarrel, Elisha and the Little Boy, and The Baby 
Jesus in the Temple. (3) The junior pupils, ages about nine, 
ten, eleven and twelve, apperceive truth in the light of their 
social instincts and relations and their delight in heroes and 
heroic deeds, so their lesson materials will consist of stories 
that treat of the outward deeds of men, showing them in actual 
situations which involve religious and moral crises and which 
present ideals and social duties and deepen the sense of re- 
sponsibility. Samples of suitable lessons are Abraham's Rescue 
of Lot, The Report of the Spies and The Good Samaritan. The 



THE GRADED LESSONS 75 

lessons taken from the life of Jesus deal with his doings rather 
than with his sayings. (4) The pupils of the intermediate de- 
partment, ages about thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, are 
in the period of physical, mental and social readjustment, with 
an interest in exceptional and heroic life, so the lesson materials 
will consist of brief biographies and histories which glorify noble 
character and lead to the consecration of the life to Christian 
service. Enough of what the hero did and said is presented 
to show what he was and to glorify right doing as a result of 
right being. (5) In the senior department, ages about seventeen, 
eighteen, nineteen and twenty, the pupils have developed into 
greater rationality, stronger social feelings and broader inter- 
ests, so the lesson materials will consist of biographical, his- 
torical, doctrinal and practical selections which show the de- 
velopment of ideas and ideals and practices, and of training 
courses which establish convictions and prepare for effective 
Christian service. Here is the place for the first eleven chapters 
of Genesis, for the ethical messages of the prophets, for the 
wisdom, poetry and apocalyptic literature, for more intensive 
historic study and for the teachings of the Gospels and Epistles. 
(6) In the adult department, ages twenty-one and over, the 
pupils are out in the world, meeting problems and bearing re- 
sponsibilities, so the lesson materials will consist of elective 
courses dealing mainly with practical application of Bible 
teaching as presented in the teachings of the Prophets, the Gos- 
pels and the Epistles. There may be also courses in the study 
of Bible characters, Bible institutions, and Bible epochs. 

2. Better Than Uniform Lessons. The graded lessons do, 
and the Uniform lessons do not do, the following things: (1) 
Adapt themselves to the varying needs of the pupils. Pupils 
differ in their powers and capacities, in their religious needs, 
at different stages of their development. (2) Make the im- 
pression of progression in the mind of the pupil. The pupils 
should feel themselves advancing from year to year. They 
should feel that they are getting somewhere, that they are 
making real progress, as is the case in the day-school. This 
gives an incentive to do real studying. (3) Give a connected 
view of the Bible as a progressive revelation. The Uniform les- 
sons tend to give an impression of the Bible as a book of un- 
related fragments, disconnected parts, disjointed pieces. (4) 
Create in the pupil a growing interest and appreciation of the 
Bible. When the hop-skip-and-jump method is pursued, as in the 



76 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Uniform lessons, the pupil, not only does not see the beauties 
of unity and progression in the Bible, but he actually acquires 
misconceptions and antagonisms with regard to certain of the 
most valuable and precious passages of Scripture, because they 
were presented to him before he had grown up to them. 

3. Adopting Graded Lessons. Before adopting a system of 
graded lessons, it is important that those who have the matter 
in charge should know exactly what they are doing. They 
should send to the denominational publishing house for sam- 
ples and descriptions of the International graded lessons. The 
graded lessons may be adopted with the beginning of any quar- 
ter in the year, but, in ordering supplies, it is well to remember 
that the graded lesson year begins the first of October, in- 
stead of the first of January. So, if the graded lessons are 
adopted to begin the first of January, then second quarter sup- 
plies should be ordered. In addition to the International graded 
series, there are other good systems of graded lessons, and it 
might be well to procure several sets of samples before order- 
ing supplies. Samples of "The Constructive Bible Studies" 
may be had of The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 111., 
and samples of "The Bible Study Union Lessons" may be had 
from Charles Scribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth Avenue, New York. 

4. How to Use the Graded Lessons. At first the graded les- 
sons will seem harder to handle than the Uniform lessons, but 
they are not, because they are better adapted to the needs of 
the pupils, and also because the lesson helps are better. A few 
general suggestions are here offered. (1) Let the teacher make 
himself acquainted with the new plans at the start. The graded 
lessons appear to be hard at first because they are different 
from the Uniform lessons, both as to arrangement and presen- 
tation. They seem hard because they are new. (2) Let the 
teacher not be discouraged by failure at the beginning. The 
lessons will be new to the pupils as well as to the teacher, and 
both must get used to them, must learn how to use them with 
pleasure and profit. (3) Let the teacher not expect too much 
from the pupils in the way of home-work. Failure on the part 
of the pupils to do the home-work assigned does not prove that 
the graded lessons are inferior to the Uniform lessons. The 
pupils that will not do the work with the new lessons probably 
did not work with the old, only the teacher did not notice it be- 
fore. (4) Let the teacher use his oivn judgment in the use of 



THE GRADED LESSONS 77 

the new lessons. Let him give the suggestions in connection 
with the lessons a fair trial, and, if they will not work, he can 
try another way. If the pupils will not do the home-work at 
home, then he can have them do it in the class, or between 
Sundays in an extra meeting of the class. (5) Let the teacher 
seek to create the impression that the pupils are complimented 
with the new lessons. The pupils should feel that they are be- 
ing favored with something better and that the assigned worK 
is a privilege conferred upon them. (6) Let the teacher shoiu 
appreciation of work done by the pupils. Much attention should 
be given to the pupils' work. The note-books of the pupils 
should be carefully preserved, and, at the end of the year, th^y 
should be given to the pupils to keep. It will be an inducement 
to good work, and will at the same time do good outside the 
class, if it is understood that the best note-book or set of hand- 
work is to be placed in an exhibit at a convention, given to a 
college library, or added to the local Sunday-school exhibit. 
(7) Let the teacher of Uniform lessons determine to try the 
graded lessons. He may adopt them for his own class, whether 
or not they are adopted by the school as a whole, consulting 
the superintendent of course. Success with graded lessons in 
one class will lead to their adoption in other classes. 

5. Graded Lesson Problems. There are some problems to be 
solved in connection with the adoption of graded lessons. It 
may be said, "They cost more than the Uniform lessons, and we 
cannot afford them." Yes, they cost more and they are worth 
more. Graded lesson helps cost about twice as much as Uniform 
lesson helps, at first; but, since the teachers' helps can be used 
over and over again, the cost is not very much greater, after 
the first year. It may be said, "The graded lessons will spoil 
our program and break up our teachers' meeting, for we cannot 
read the lesson together on Sunday and we cannot study it to- 
gether in the teachers' meeting." As to reading the lesson to- 
gether, why should that be done, anyway? Nothing could be 
of less value in a program than the reading of the Uniform les- 
son responsively as it is done usually. See chapter three in 
part three. As to studying the lesson together in the teachers' 
meeting, that is out of date. There are more important things 
to be done in the teachers' meeting. See later chapters. In 
a small school, it will be said, "But ivhere are the teachers for all 
these graded lessons?" If there are not at least nine teachers 
in the elementary grades, then only a part of the graded les- 



78 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

sons may be adopted in these grades at first. If there be only 
one teacher in the beginners' department, the first grade les- 
sons may be used the first year, and the second grade lessons 
the next year. So in the primary and junior departments. In 
some schools, the objections to the graded lessons are based on 
pure prejudice. There are a few who are prejudiced against 
graded lessons, and they will not consider any argument in 
their favor. They are opposed to any changes. After graded 
lessons have been adopted, sometimes it is difficult to get 
teachers and pupils to hold on to them long enough to demon- 
strate their value. The teacher who has not been studying, 
and who is not willing to study, will not like the graded les- 
sons. When pupils object to the graded lessons, it is because 
they have been prejudiced against them by the teacher or be- 
cause they have not been used to doing any real studying with 
any lessons. Sometimes, therefore, it is well to adopt graded 
lessons gradually, putting them into the elementary grades at 
the beginning, and then adding them in the next higher grade 
from year to year. 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A young" woman says: "We had a pastor who knew 
about Sunday-school work. He got our Sunday-school to adopt graded 
lessons and new methods. After he left us, our superintendent wanted 
to drop back into the ruts, and was going- to order Uniform lessons 
for the following year. He asked me what I thought about it, and I 
told him I thought so much of the graded lessons that I was going 
to have them for my class if I had to pay for them myself, and I gave 
him my reasons. I did not like to oppose him, for he is our family 
physician and one of the best men in the world, but is ignorant of 
Sunday-school work, and I felt it my duty to save our Sunday-school 
if I could — and I did." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give the argument for graded lessons in the 
Sunday-school. (2) Why graded rather than Uniform lessons? (3) 
Give suggestions as to the use of graded lessons. (4) Discuss some 
graded lesson problems. (5) Illustrate the value of graded lessons. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 12; 
Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 8; Athearn, "The 
Church School;" Myers, "The Old Testament in the Sunday School." 



SECURING SELF-EXPRESSION 79 



CHAPTER IV 

SECURING SELF-EXPRESSION 

Self-expression is the key to good teaching. The teacher 
begins with some present interest of the pupil, gets him to see 
for himself some truth, leads him into the right attitude towards 
this truth, develops in him a desire to be or to do something, 
and helps him to live out the life principles he learns. Such 
teaching is accomplished mainly through self-expression on the 
part of the pupil, and not by telling, explaining, exhorting, or 
commanding on the part of the teacher. 

1. Some Aspects of Self -Expression. (1) The methods used. 
Self-expression may be secured through handwork, or manual 
work, "the enlistment of the pupil's activities by the use of his 
hands in the work of the class," through telling by the pupil to 
the teacher in story or in answer to questions, through various 
forms of athletics properly controlled, and through acts of defi- 
nite service within and without the class. The handwork may 
take the form of using a sand-tray and other kindergarten ma- 
terials, of coloring outlines and pictures, of cutting or tearing 
paper silhouettes, of pasting or drawing pictures that illustrate 
the lesson, of decorative work of various kinds, of writing upon 
paper or blackboard, of modeling and molding in paper pulp, 
clay, or plasticine, and of making physical, political and his- 
torical maps. (2) Dangers to be avoided. "Manual work in the 
Sunday-school easily may degenerate into a meaningless fad." 
We must know why we have pupils to do certain things. It is 
not enough that the handwork keeps the pupils quiet. Simply to 
repress or engross their activities might do them harm instead 
of good. Nor is it enough that the handwork interests them. 
They might be interested and not be helped. The question is 
whether or not the handwork develops the right interests and 
helps us to properly expand those interests, for, as Professor 
George Albert Coe says, "The core of good teaching consists not 
in displacing present interests, experiences, and ideas, but in ex- 
panding them in the right direction." Does the handwork help 
in developing the character? That is its aim. (3) Some posi- 
tive values. The pupil learns through doing, and also does be- 



80 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

cause he is learning. This is the underlying principle of hand- 
work and other forms of self-expression in the Sunday-school. 
Self-expression helps the pupil to respond to religious stimuli 
and also constitutes his personal reaction to concrete truth as 
he sees it and feels it. The teacher has no way of knowing 
whether or not he is really teaching except as he is able to 
secure on the part of the pupil some form of active, natural 
expression of his response to the teaching. 

2. Grading the Self-Expression. There is as much need for 
grading the self-expression, according to the interests and 
needs of pupils, as for graded lessons and programs. (1) In the 
beginners' department. With pupils in the beginners' depart- 
ment, ages about four and five, self-expression may be secured 
through prayers, finger games, motion songs, marches, drills, 
pictures, educational toys, objects of nature, sand-tray, pasting, 
and coloring. The materials needed will not be expensive. They 
will consist of a sand-tray and sand, a box of educational toys, 
a box of crayolas, a bottle of paste, and some selected pictures. 
The school should cooperate with the home in helping the child 
to express his love and gratitude through gifts of money, caring 
for baby, feeding the pets and birds, and various acts of help- 
fulness to those in need. (2) In the primary department. The 
primary pupils, ages about six, seven and eight, should be di- 
rected in self-expression through song, prayer, talk, play, and 
work. They have outgrown the motion songs of the beginners' 
department, and the character of the handwork also will be 
changed to some extent. One of the best ways to secure self- 
expression in this department is to enlist the activities of the 
pupils in the reproduction of the lesson story. The story may 
be reproduced in various ways. Some of these are here sug- 
gested, a. Telling the story. No one in the class probably will 
be able to tell all the story, but all of them together can tell it, 
one speaking at a time, of course. In this exercise, the pupils, 
not only get the full benefit of the story, but they are getting 
fine memory training, b. Picturing the story. Each pupil may 
tell the story in a picture of his own making. The picture may 
be drawn in the class, upon the blackboard or upon a sheet of 
paper, or it may be drawn at home and brought to the class and 
exhibited. These pictures should elicit intelligent and helpful 
comment from the teacher. The work may be crude, but it will 
help the pupils in forming definite and clear mental pictures, 
and will train the imagination and strengthen the power of at- 



SECURING SELF-EXPRESSION 81 

tention. c. Playing the story. Let the pupils act out the story. 
The teacher may give suggestions as to how the story is to be 
acted, but at the same time the pupils should be encouraged to 
have their own ideas regarding the story, and to act these out. 
No one should be allowed to act the part of God or Jesus. 
d. Illustrating the story. This may be done by tearing paper, 
or by cutting out silhouettes from paper, to represent something 
involved in the story. It may be done by pasting appropriate 
pictures of persons or objects in the lesson scrap-book. The 
pictures used may be furnished by the school, through the 
teacher, or may be cut out of periodicals and catalogues by the 
pupils at home. e. Writing the story. This can be done only 
by the more advanced pupils in this department, but even the 
pupils six years of age can at least print the title of the story 
in the scrap-book and can illustrate it with a pasted picture or 
by drawing a picture. /. Doing the story. The pupils may be 
directed in simple acts of service which exemplify the teaching 
of the story. They may assist in getting out and putting away 
handwork materials, in keeping the room in order, and in other 
useful activities. They may tell and live the story at home. 
They may act out the suggestion of the story in cooperation 
with the other children by carrying flowers to the sick, bringing 
money to buy milk for sick babies or to help the babies in mis- 
sion lands, etc. (3) hi the junior department. The junior 
pupils, ages about nine, ten, eleven and twelve, can fill out in 
writing Scripture texts which are partly printed, looking up the 
passages in the Bible. They can do the same with Bible stories. 
They can write answers to significant questions. A first grade 
junior boy had this question to answer: "Write the names of 
four persons, not mentioned in the Bible, whom you think gave 
their lives to God." He wrote the names of his pastor, his 
Sunday-school superintendent, his teacher, and a Sunday-school 
specialist who had held an institute with his church. Another 
thing that the juniors do is to fill in places on outline maps or 
to draw historical maps, locating places and occurrences. This 
helps to make places and scenes real to them. The handling of 
oriental models helps the juniors to understand Bible customs 
and teachings. The handwork may be done at home or in the 
Sunday-school, or partly in each place, or at an extra meeting 
between Sundays. The department will need to be supplied with 
graded lesson helps, pencils, paper, models, paste, pictures and 
scissors. Class activities may be provided for the juniors 



82 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

through class organization, and helpful forms of athletics may 
be arranged. The juniors may be put at useful tasks within 
and without the Sunday-school. The boys can plant flowers or 
shrubs on the church lawn, and the girls can bring flowers for 
the pulpit and take them to the sick. The boys can serve as a 
messenger corps for the pastor and superintendent. All can 
participate in opening and closing services, can make scrap- 
books for hospitals and foreign mission stations, and can give 
money to help others. (4) In the intermediate department. 
The intermediate pupils, ages about thirteen, fourteen, fifteen 
and sixteen, can make physical and political maps, write biog- 
raphies, construct models, tables, boxes and other materials 
needed in the Sunday-school, and they can engage in various 
Christian activities through class organization. The author 
spoke in a rural church on a very hot day, and there was a 
basket-dinner. There was not a tree within a mile. The heat 
was almost unbearable. The church had been worshiping in 
this location thirty-eight years, and there was not a year in all 
that time when any class of intermediate youths in that Sunday- 
school would not have been glad to set out trees in the church 
yard if some one had suggested it to them. The intermediates 
in that school would have also decorated the church for Christ- 
mas and other entertainments. Care should be exercised that 
the worship in this department be a genuine expression. (5) 
In the senior department. The senior pupils, ages about seven- 
teen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty, can write essays, make 
talks, conduct debates, engage in athletics, play in an orchestra, 
sing in a quartet or chorus or glee club, act as ushers, hold 
meetings on the street and in jails, hospitals and elsewhere, and, 
as athletic leaders, teachers, etc., help to train the intermediates. 
A teacher says: "In our Philathea class last Sunday, after 
studying the lesson 'Hearing and Doing/ we decided to put the 
lesson into practice by arranging to get some new members into 
the class, by clothing three poor children so they could attend 
Sunday-school, and by appointing a standing committee to take 
flowers to some shut-ins and read to them." (6) In the adult 
department. The adult pupils, ages twenty-one and over, can 
discuss vital questions in the class, supply classes when teach- 
ers are absent, take permanent positions of usefulness in the 
church, etc., etc. 



SECURING SELF-EXPRESSION 83 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. "Have your pupils draw maps or make drawings 
of persons arid objects. Have them build up work-books of their 
own. Pupils will often do loving labor in decorating and illustrating 
a note-book of their very own. I have known pupils in a school that 
was too poor to buy even one-cent pictures to hunt up advertising 
pictures in newspapers and magazines, for the purpose of illustrating 
the outlines and answers in note-books. A good general principle is 
not to tell your pupils anything that you can get them to find out 
for themselves. Let them hunt up points during the week, and 
report on the following Sunday. Let the more able students assist 
those who have been absent or are behind with their work. Pupils 
who are thus active toward the material of the lesson will generally 
find that the lesson grows \ivid thereby." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Name some methods of securing self-expres- 
sion. (2) Indicate some dangers to be avoided in the use of hand- 
work. (3) Indicate the value of self-expression. (4) Indicate the 
types of self-expression which may be secured in the various de- 
partments. 

3. References. Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 
17; Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 15; Athearn, "The 
Church School;" Littlefield, "Handwork in the Sunday School;" Harts - 
home, "Worship in the Sunday School." 



84 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER V 

STORY-TELLING IN TEACHING 

Jesus, the Great Teacher, was a master story-teller, and he 
who would follow Jesus as a teacher must learn how to tell 
stories and how to make a wise use of them in teaching. "The 
stories of the Gospels have done infinitely more to influence the 
lives of men than all the books on systematic theology that the 
church has produced in twenty centuries of time." 

1. The Power of the Story. The story presents abstract 
truth in concrete form. It is a most effective method in teach- 
ing because of the following facts: (1) It appeals to the imag- 
ination. The story enables the mind to image, to picture, the 
truth. By putting the truth in concrete form, the story causes 
it to be seen, realized, understood, apprehended. The pupil sees 
himself in the story, without at first realizing that it is himself. 
He sees things in their proper relations. He forms correct 
images, he actually sees the truth. Prof. John Dewey says: "I 
believe that if nine-tenths of the energy at present directed to- 
wards making the child learn certain things were spent in see- 
ing to it that the child was forming proper images, the work of 
instruction would be indefinitely facilitated." (2) It appeals to 
the emotions. The story arouses love, hate, disgust, sympathy, 
admiration, and other emotions. Action is largely determined 
by emotion, and it is of the highest importance that there be 
aroused in the pupils the proper emotions. This may be done 
most effectively through the story. Nathan brought David, the 
adulterer and murderer, to repentance through a story that ap- 
pealed to his emotions. It was a simple little story of how a 
rich man mistreated a poor man, robbing him of his little lamb. 
The story stirred David's emotions. In righteous anger, he de- 
clared that the rich man ought to die. Then the teacher said 
plainly, "Thou art the man" — after David had been stirred in 
his emotions and had reached a right conclusion before he saw 
that the story applied to him and while his judgment was clear 
and unbiased. (3) It appeals to the will. While arousing the 
proper emotion, the story at the same time is making a powerful 
appeal to the will through indirect suggestion. A suggested 



STORY-TELLING IN TEACHING 85 

idea is presented to the mind so strongly and attractively in the 
story that it issues in action. Far better than telling a boy to 
do a brave deed, is to tell of another boy who did a brave deed. 
Instinctive imitation will tend to lead him to act as the charac- 
ter in the story acts. 

2. The Characteristics of the Story. The good story has 
five chief characteristics. (1) Meaning. The story must have 
a meaning, a point, a lesson. It must teach a truth. Jesus told 
the story of a prodigal son to teach God's love for man, and he 
told the story of a good Samaritan to teach man's love for man. 
(2) Attractiveness. The story must be such that the pupils will 
enjoy it for its own sake. It must be worth telling just as a 
story. (3) Unity. Everything in the story must tend to make 
the desired impression. Everything that helps to do this must 
be included, and everything that does not help to do this must be 
left out. The story should not be burdened with secondary char- 
acters, unnecessary details and irrelevant incidents. (4) Action. 
The story must have action, life, movement. It must tell of 
things that were said and done, rather than what was felt or 
thought. Of the one hundred and seven words in one of the 
parables of Jesus, thirty-three are verbs. What the character 
did must tell what he was. (5) Adaptation. The materials of 
the story must be suited to the pupils, must be connected in some 
way with their instincts and their interests, and the language 
must be adapted to their understanding. Stories for little chil- 
dren will be very different from stories for older pupils. They 
will be shorter, simpler in construction, clearer in language and 
meaning. Always, the story materials must be more familiar 
to the pupils than the truth the story is meant to illustrate. 

3. The Arrangement of the Story. A story must have a hero, 
action, a plot, and a solution. Or, to put it in a better way for 
the teacher, the story must have the four following things: 
(1) A good beginning, one that gets attention and arouses in- 
terest in what is to follow. Sometimes this beginning intro- 
duces and characterizes the leading person or persons of the 
story. Sometimes it provides a background for the action. 
Again, it may give a hint of the line of thought to be developed, 
or it may awaken the kind of feeling the story is to evoke. The 
beginning should be just as short as is consistent with its pur- 
pose. Usually a few snappy sentences will be sufficient. (2) 
An orderly succession of events, everything coming in its nat- 



86 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

ural, logical order and preparing for the climax without reveal- 
ing it beforehand. (3) A proper climax. The climax is that 
which makes the story, that which gives meaning to the whole. 
It is the focus of interest. It is the ball in the load of the gun. 
It is the point of the story, and it is that for which the story 
exists. Here is where the moral impression is made if made at 
all. Failure here means failure altogether. Frequently the 
climax has in it the element of surprise, to strengthen the effect. 
(4) A suitable ending. Sometimes the climax itself may form 
the fitting close, but usually a few sentences will need to be 
added to make it evident that the story really has arrived at 
the stopping place. The ending of the story must leave the 
mind at rest, so the pupil can go back and think over the deeper 
meaning of the story and get the full impression. 

4. Dressing Up the Story. The teacher who would make the 
story a work of art should heed the following suggestions: (1) 
Use direct discourse. Let the characters do their own talking 
in their own words, instead of telling what they said. (2) Give 
the speeches in verse in some of the old stories in which action 
predominates and conversation is brief, particularly when the 
story is for younger children. (3) Employ rythmic repetition 
whenever possible. This rythmic repetition of certain significant 
words or phrases has the pleasing effect of poetry and music, 
and tends to deepen the impression. (4) Use short words and 
short sentences, especially in stories for smaller children. Use 
common, well-known words, even colloquialisms, and the simplest 
grammatical constructions, so that the pupil may be able to 
devote his whole attention to the story itself. (5) Sometimes 
the story should be given a fresh form. An old story in a new 
dress may be very attractive. Put freshness, individuality, orig- 
inality, into the telling as much as possible. This suggestion 
has its limitations, because in retelling stories to younger pupils, 
it is necessary to repeat the exact words, at least in part. (6) 
Put expression into the telling of the story. Let voice and ges- 
ture and change of countenance help to convey the meaning and 
deepen the impression of the story. The teacher should put his 
whole self into the telling, and act out the story — but should not 
so overdo it as to take attention from the story itself to its tell- 
ing. The teacher must feel the power of the story himself, and 
then show that he feels it in the enthusiastic, animated telling 
of it to the pupils. It is bad to spoil a good story by bad telling. 



STORY-TELLING IN TEACHING 87 

6. The Story Interests of Pupils. As the pupil grows, his 
story appetites change, as do his other appetites. In each stage 
of his development, there appears a new soul-hunger that must 
be satisfied with a new type of story, else the pupil will be for- 
ever deprived of certain necessary nurture, and will fail of the 
highest development and usefulness. The dominant story appe- 
tite, or interest, of each of the periods may, for convenience of 
treatment, be characterized by one word, if it be remembered 
that other interests exist at the same time and that the interests 
of the periods overlap. (1) Nature. Stories that reveal to the 
little child two and three years of age the wonders of nature, 
animate and inanimate, will develop in him the God conscious- 
ness. Very simple, short stories in which seeds and plants and 
flowers and animals talk, with repetition of phrases and verses, 
will help to fix in the soul of the cradle roll child the idea of 
the presence of a great loving God. At the first, the "story 
interest begins with lullabies, rhymes, and jingles." Such cumu- 
lative stories as "Three Bears" and "This Little Pig Went to 
Market" will be effective. (2) Protection. Pupils in the begin- 
ners' department, about four and five years of age, may be 
helped into an appreciation of the protecting power of the lov- 
ing God through stories of parental protection of babies, of 
animals protecting their little ones, and of God taking care of 
the things and the people he has made. (3) Helpfulness. While 
the interests of the two preceding periods are still operative in 
the primary pupils, about six to eight years of age, the emphasis 
now should be placed upon stories that develop in them a thank- 
ful spirit towards the good God, and that lead them to express 
it in simple acts of helpfulness for baby, mama, papa, teacher, 
schoolmates, and others. They may have been thus trained to 
some extent in the earlier periods, but now for the first time 
they are able to help effectively. These stories present concrete 
examples of doing the will of God — Jesus, his helpers, and 
others. (4) Achievement. To the juniors, about nine to twelve 
years of age, there is possible a far wider range of helpful per- 
formance. They can do, go, and make more for others, because 
of their increased knowledge and their greater ability to coop- 
erate with others. They are interested in the world's doers, and 
they may be effectively taught through brief biographical 
stories. (5) Attainment. The intermediates, about thirteen to 
sixteen years of age, are becoming better able to appreciate the 
character behind the deed, and are forming ideals of what they 



88 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

themselves hope to become. They can be helped through more 
extended biographical stories that glorify noble character and 
right living. (6) Courtship, In the seniors, about seventeen to 
twenty years of age, the sex impulse is strong, and gives color 
to the whole life. The religious teacher should recognize its 
close relation to the religious impulse, and make an extended use 
of biography and history involving courtship interests. (7) 
Struggle. The interests of adults are varied, but the teacher 
always may count on the value of stories of struggle to solve 
such life problems as those of love, in business, for existence, 
regarding right and wrong. 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Can you recall some story that has greatly influ- 
enced your life? Try to explain its power. Are you thinking of a 
teacher whom you liked? Was that teacher a good story-teller? 
Analyze some good stories in the light of what is said in this chapter. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give three reasons for the power of the 
story. (2) Give five characteristics of a good story. (3) Discuss the 
arrangement of the story. (4) Discuss the story as a work of 
art. (5) Indicate the story interests of pupils in the various periods 
of development. 

3. References. St. John, "Stories and Story- Telling;" Keyes, 
' 'Stories and Story- Telling;" Sly, "World Stories Retold;" Stewart, 
"Tell Me a True Story;" Bailey and Lewis, "For the Children's Hour:" 
Bryant, "How to Tell Stories to Children" and "Stories to Tell Chil- 
dren;" Houghton, "Telling Bible Stories;" O'Grady and Throop, "The 
Story- Tellers' Book;" Wyche, "Some Great Stories and How to Tell 
Them." 



FINDING GOOD STORIES 89 



CHAPTER VI 

FINDING GOOD STORIES 

The Sunday-school teacher should be always looking for and 
working* on good stories for class use. In considering whether 
or not a story will be suitable, the teacher should keep in mind 
the outline of story interests as given in the preceding chapter. 
A story must be properly graded as material if it is to be 
effectively used as method. 

1. The Materials of the Story. There are two general classes 
of stories — idealistic stories and realistic stories. The realistic 
stories profess to deal only with facts, while the idealistic stories 
do not profess to deal only with facts. Both alike are valuable 
in the teaching of moral truth. "The one essential for idealistic 
stories is not that they should be true but that they should 
clearly and impressively set forth a truth." Among the most 
valuable forms of idealistic stories are fairy-tales, folk-tales, 
myths, legends, fables, parables, and allegories. As to realistic 
stories, there is a great variety from which to select. "Stories 
from history and biography; personal reminiscences, true stories 
of animals, and all others that profess to be accounts of actual 
happenings belong to this class. They have a special value be- 
cause besides suggesting a principle thev also indicate how it 
may receive specific application in life. The deeds of the Chris- 
tian martyrs and of the modest heroes of every-day life have a 
certain power which is beyond that of the most beautiful myth. 
The story of what Jesus did means more than all the visions of 
all the prophets." (St. John.) The Bible itself is the great 
treasure-house of stories for the Sunday-school teacher, but also 
outside the Bible he will find rich story treasures which he may 
use as illustrations. 

2. Preparing the Story. A story cannot be well told without 
careful preparation. There are at least four steps that must be 
taken in the preparation of a Bible story. (1) All the facts 
must be brought together and arranged in order. If the story 
be the feeding of the five thousand, for instance, it will be 
necessary to read all the four accounts, in Matthew, Mark, Luke 



90 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

and John, and also the parallel passages, and then to consult the 
dictionaries and commentaries. All the facts thus obtained 
must be fitted together in order. In this case, it will be diffi- 
cult in a place or two to decide on the right order, but the de- 
cision must be made that seems best to agree with all the facts. 
(2) Details must be filled in through the exercise of the con- 
structive imagination. One must be able to see, in the story of 
the feeding of the five thousand, the crowds in their bright gar- 
ments of red and blue and yellow against the dark green of the 
grass, arranged in symmetrical rows and looking like an im- 
mense flower-garden. One must be able to see Peter as he re- 
ceives his little portion of the lunch, the incredulous astonish- 
ment on his face, his hesitation to start out on what seemed to 
be such a silly, futile business, and his impulse to utter a foolish 
protest. (3) The story must be adapted in arrangement and 
language to the interests and needs of the pupils. In a story 
so rich in materials as that of the feeding of the five thousand, 
there will need to be a shifting of emphasis, according to the 
class for whom it is intended. For one class, the story will be 
so arranged as to place emphasis upon the little boy and his 
lunch, and for another class upon the assistance of the twelve, 
upon the orderly arrangement of the people, or upon the collec- 
tion of the scraps. (4) The story must be learned and prac- 
ticed. This does not mean that it must be memorized altogether. 
Usually only certain words and phrases need to be memorized. 
But, after carefully arranging all the facts in order and filling 
in the necessary details and adapting all to the purpose in mind, 
the teacher should think through the story in his own language 
for the most part, and get it thoroughly fixed in mind. Then 
he should practice telling it to a friend before using it in the 
class. 

3. Bible Story for Adults. It was during the closing, 
strenuous days of Jesus' great Galilean ministry, when His 
popularity was at its height. The increasing crowds that 
pressed about Him were further augmented at this time by 
companies of pilgrims who were on their way to Jerusalem to 
attend the Passover, the great annual religious festival of the 
Jews. 

So besieged was Jesus by the curious crowds that He could 
hardly find time to eat or sleep, and He was tired with His 
teaching and preaching and healing. His twelve disciples, who 
had returned, two by two, from a tour of ministry and miracles, 



FINDING GOOD STORIES 91 

also needed rest, and Jesus said to them: "Let us get away 
from here and go to some quiet place and rest awhile." So 
Jesus and the Twelve made their way out of the crowd, and out 
of Capernaum, down to the shore of the Lake of Galilee near-by, 
where they entered a big fisherman's boat, and sailed eastward 
about four miles to the northeastern shore, intending to find a 
suitable resting-place near the town of Bethsaida. 

When the crowds saw the direction in which Jesus and His 
little band of followers were going, some followed in boats, while 
most of them hurried on foot around the northern end of the 
lake, outstripping the boat. These were joined by other crowds 
from the towns and the country districts round about. When 
Jesus landed and saw the great throngs of people, He looked into 
their faces and down into their hearts, and, though He knew 
they had come out of a morbid curiosity aroused by the reports 
of His miracles, He knew also their deep soul-needs, and He 
felt very sorry for them. For they seemed to Him as sheep with- 
out a shepherd — they had no competent religious leaders. 

So, instead of driving the people away, or slipping away from 
them, He welcomed them, and gave up His rest. He advanced 
to a place on the hillside, where, surrounded by the Twelve, He 
taught and healed as the throngs came and went. This labor 
of unselfish love He continued during the hours of the morning 
and until late in the afternoon. Then, as the sun began to sink 
beyond the hills, His disciples pressed about Him, and one of 
them said: "We are out in the country where there are no 
homes, and the day is nearly gone; send the multitudes away 
that they may go into the towns and to the homes in the coun- 
try districts round about and find food and lodging." Jesus an- 
swered: "That is not necessary; you can give them food to 
eat, can you not?" Jesus said this to test their faith. He knew 
what He was going to do. 

Philip voiced the sentiment of the surprised Twelve in these 
words : "We have only about thirty-five dollars in the treasury, 
and that would not buy enough food to furnish a taste for each 
one." Jesus replied: "Look around and see how much food is 
to be found in the crowd." After making a thorough search, 
they returned, and Andrew made this report: "All that can be 
found is a boy's lunch of five crackers and two sardines, and 
what would that amount to among so many?" To their amaze- 
ment, however, Jesus said : "That is enough ; bring the boy and 
his lunch here." The boy stepped forward, and handed what he 



02 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

had to Jesus, who took it and thanked him, and said to the 
Twelve: "Seat the people in orderly dining companies, each 
company composed of about one hundred, so you can serve 
them quietly and quickly/' When the people had been thus 
arranged in dining companies, probably as many as ten thou- 
sand altogether, their bright, varicolored robes and dresses set 
off by the dark background of heavy, green grass, they must 
have looked like an immense flower-garden. 

After all had been arranged to His satisfaction, Jesus held the 
lunch in His hands, while the Twelve stood in order before Him, 
and, reverently looking up to heaven, said: "Blessed art thou, 
Jehovah, our God, King of the world, who causes to come forth 
bread from the earth." Then He broke the five crackers and 
two sardines into little bits, and divided these among the Twelve, 
instructing them to distribute among all the people. You can 
imagine the impulsive Peter as he receives his little portion. 
See the incredulous astonishment on his face, his hesitation to 
start out on what seemed to be such a silly mission, and the 
impulse in his heart to utter a foolish protest: "Do you expect 
these few crumbs to fill a thousand mouths?" But Peter re- 
strains himself, and follows instructions. Now see Peter as he 
passes from one to another in the long lines, giving out of his 
never-failing store. As the miracle grows, Peter's wonder and 
faith grow. 

When all have eaten all they want, and the Twelve again 
stand before Jesus, Peter is a changed man. He is glad now 
that he did not protest, and that he quietly did as he was told. 
Now he can scarcely keep from falling at the feet of his Lord 
and pouring out an impulsive plea for the pardon of his sinful 
unbelief. But, listen! Jesus is speaking again. "Gather up all 
the scraps, that nothing be wasted." Peter picks up a big lunch- 
basket, and goes to work again, this time without any hesita- 
tion. In a little while he comes back with his basket full of the 
scraps. He has more food in his basket now than all of them 
had to start with, before the people were fed. And each of the 
others has his basket full. There are twelve baskets full of the 
scraps left over. 

Peter has been going to school again. He has learned a lesson 
of faith in the power of Jesus to supply all human needs. He 
has learned a lesson in means, that Jesus uses His followers as 
agents in the meeting of human needs. He has learned a lesson 
in order, that Jesus works in an orderly, systematic, lawful way. 



FINDING GOOD STORIES 93 

He has learned a lesson in economy, that Jesus would have 
nothing wasted, of food or money or effort. He has learned a 
lesson in stewardship, that Jesus will accept and use even so 
small a gift as a little boy's lunch. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Angela M. Keyes: (1) "Every genuine story, sense 
or nonsense, is a glimpse of life, which will early give guiding knowl- 
edge and experience." (2) "The story will widen the child's outlook 
on life. On the wings of the word the listener may fly away to the 
uttermost bounds of the earth. In the story world he, if poor, may 
be rich; if sad, merry; if inarticulate, he may find expression." (3) 
"The story-teller must himself possess the story before attempting to 
give it to another. To get the story, relax your imagination and sym- 
pathy and let them go out to it. Conjure up its scene and people and 
happening." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Distinguish between idealistic and realistic 
stories. (2) Name some classes of idealistic stories, and some of real- 
istic stories. (3) Give four suggestions relative to preparing the 
story. (4) Which of the Bible stories do you like best? Why? 

3. References. See preceding chapter. 



94 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VII 

QUESTIONS AND PICTURES 

"Methods are many, principles few; methods may vary, prin- 
ciples never do." Probably the most valuable method, one that 
can be used effectively in all the grades, is the story method, 
to which we have devoted two chapters, but there are many 
other good methods. There is no one best method to be used all 
the while, and the teacher needs to learn to use various methods, 
according to the lessons used and the grades taught. 

1. Question Method. The question method in teaching has 
been much used, and also greatly abused. A. There are three 
general considerations, (1) Questions should be vital. It is an 
abuse of the method to spend twenty-five minutes asking, from 
a "quarterly," questions designed to draw from the pupils mere 
statements of memorized facts, particularly when it is in effect 
a process of pumping from a dry well. If the pupils could an- 
swer correctly all these questions, they would not be helped 
thereby into vital truth and righteous living. Questions should 
not magnify details and the comparatively unimportant. (2) 
Questions should be clear and definite. All ambiguities should 
be avoided, and no doubt should be left in the pupil's mind as 
to what the teacher is driving at. Usually the shorter the ques- 
tion, the better. Questions that call for two or more answers, 
or that are so general as to admit of ten different answers, only 
confuse the pupil and retard learning. (3) Questions should be 
thought-provoking. Questions should be so constructed that 
they will provoke thought in the pupils and evoke questions from 
them. Usually only one pupil should be allowed to answer at a 
time, and he should be designated by the teacher after the ques- 
tion is asked. Pupils should not be expected to answer accord- 
ing to a fixed order, according to location or alphabetically, as 
this encourages inattention. For the same reason, do not re- 
peat the questions or the answers. Usually do not ask ques- 
tions that can be answered by a simple yes or no, as they en- 
courage guessing. Pay but little attention to the raising of 
hands, and give the slow pupils a chance. Only occasionally 
ask "sign-board" questions that indicate the answer, or "ellipti- 



QUESTIONS AND PICTURES 95 

cal" questions that supply part of the answer. Conserve the 
element of surprise. B. There are various types of questions 
that may be used in the Sunday-school. (1) Informational ques- 
tions seek needed information. This is the original type of 
question. Such questions have great value in any class. They 
indicate genuine interest and enable each one that gives an 
answer to feel that he is making a real contribution. They 
give life and realness to a recitation. Thus the teacher may 
gain detailed information regarding a subject that he has mas- 
tered in its fundamentals, and he may learn the views and 
opinions of his pupils. On the other hand, the pupils will gain 
valuable, direct information when they are encouraged to ask 
questions of the teacher and of one another. (2) Examination 
questions have an important place if they are so constructed 
as to constitute a real test of the pupil's knowledge and to 
serve as a motive to its better organization. These questions 
should deal with essentials, ignoring incidentals, and they may 
test either memory alone or thought. (3) Review questions 
may serve to freshen and strengthen impressions and to or- 
ganize them into a larger mental whole, but it is a serious mis- 
take to get into the habit of formally reviewing the lesson of 
the previous Sunday at the beginning of each recitation period, 
for a memory test of this kind deadens thought and dissipates 
interest. The review should constitute a new view, and it may 
come in the middle or at the end of a recitation, or not at all, 
according to circumstances. (4) Preparation questions are 
akin to review questions, and may be used to awaken interest 
and to call up in the mind of the pupil something already 
learned as a basis for more learning. A question regarding 
the beginner's mother or a recent picnic, for instance, might 
prepare for the telling of the lesson story. (5) Developing 
questions lead the pupil to see facts in their relations and to do 
some real reasoning. They are exceedingly valuable, particu- 
larly with pupils above the primary grades. This inductive 
process is a slow way of leading the pupil to a truth, compared 
with the deductive method wherein the teacher simply tells this 
truth, but it is better education. This method may be overdone, 
as there is neither time nor opportunity for the pupil to learn 
everything for himself under the direction of the teacher, and 
there will need to be a good deal of telling along with the devel- 
oping. (6) Personal questions "make a direct appeal to the will, 
search the heart and arouse the conscience." There should be an 



96 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

occasional use of such questions above the primary grades. 
Samples of such questions are: "What would you have done un- 
der the circumstances ?" "In what respect are you different from 
the man in the lesson?" (7) Corrective questions may be used 
rarely with very forward or obstreperous pupils to confuse them, 
check them, or shame them. (8) Rhetorical questions that do 
not require an answer may be used on occasion for emphasis. 

2. Picture Method. Suitable pictures should constitute an 
important part of the subject matter, or teaching materials, 
of the Sunday-school in all departments, for pictures teach just 
as truly as do the words of Scripture. When we are thinking 
of the way in which pictures are used in teaching, we may 
properly speak of the picture method. Pictures are exceedingly 
attractive, are an aid to perception, contribute to unity of im- 
pression, and save time for both teacher and pupil. There 
should be a few pictures, preferably but not necessarily framed, 
artistically hung on the walls of the assembly-room of each 
department, and also in each classroom, and there should be 
a liberal use of pictures in each class. Pictures may be found 
in the graded lesson helps and in newspapers and magazines, 
and prints of great paintings may be obtained at a nominal 
cost from the supply houses. Pictures at one, two and five 
cents each may be obtained from the following: Perry Pictures 
Co., Maiden, Mass.; George P. Brown and Co., Beverly, Mass.; 
W. A. Wilde Co., Boston, Mass. The stereoscope and stereo- 
graphs are exceedingly valuable for class use, particularly in 
the junior and intermediate departments, and they are not 
very expensive. The stereopticon may be used with profit oc- 
casionally. Slides and lanterns may be rented for a reason- 
able sum. The larger Sunday-schools could make effective use 
of moving pictures. All selections of pictures should be made 
with a view to their teaching value, and should be graded to 
meet the needs of the pupils. No picture on the wall of an 
assembly-room should be duplicated in any other assembly-room, 
and there should not be duplications in the classrooms, that 
every pupil may look upon new pictures as he passes from 
class to class and from department to department. The fol- 
lowing are some of the pictures regarded as suitable: (1) Be- 
ginners' department. The Sistine Madonna, Raphael; The In- 
fant Samuel, Reynolds; Holy Night, Correggio; Dignity and 
Impudence, Landseer; The Age of Innocence, Reynolds; Brit- 
tany Sheep, Bonheur; Feeding the Hens, Millet; King Charles' 



QUESTIONS AND PICTURES 97 

Spaniels, Landseer; The Sheepfold, Jacque; The Divine Shep- 
herd, Murillo; Christ Blessing Little Children, Plockhorst. (2) 
Primary department. The Flight into Egypt, Van Dyck; The 
Arrival of the Shepherds, Lerolle; Saved, Landseer; A Helping 
Hand, Renouf; Milking Time, Dupre; The Finding of Moses 
Delaroche; Feeding Her Birds, Millet; A Distinguished Mem- 
ber of the Humane Society, Landseer. (3) Junior department. 
Detail Head of Christ, Hofmann; The Angelus, Millet; Christ 
and the Fishermen, Zimmerman; Washington Crossing the 
Delaware, Leutze; The Horse Fair, Bonheur; The Monarch of 
the Glen, Landseer; The Minute Men, French; The Holy Fam- 
ily, Murillo; Temperance, Burne-Jones; State capitol building. 
(4) Intermediate department. Christ among the Doctors, Hof- 
mann; Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, Hofmann; The Trans- 
figuration, Raphael; Man with a Hoe, Millet; Christ in Geth- 
semane, Hofmann; Moses, Michelangelo; Breaking Home Ties, 
Hovenden; Panoramic view of Jerusalem. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A correspondence student, an intelligent young 
matron in a small town, says: "I have used most with my class of 
thirteen- year- old girls the quarterly method. In fact the quarterly 
method has been practiced in our school extensively. I was discour- 
aged with my class. They did not seem to be interested. Now I 
realize that the fault lay in me, and not in the girls, as we depended 
too much on the quarterly. Lately I have been using other methods, 
mainly the question and picture methods, and I am delighted with 
the results. The members of my class are delighted, too. Now we 
use our quarterlies only at home." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss three general considerations in con- 
nection with the question method. (2) Discuss the three most im- 
portant types of questions. (3) Give general suggestions relative to 
the picture method. (4) Name some pictures suitable for use in the 
beginners', primary, junior and intermediate departments. (5) How 
may a small Sunday-school obtain such pictures? (6) Report an ex- 
ample of either the question or the picture method as you have seen 
it used. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapters 13, 
17, 18; Charters, "Methods of Teaching," chapter 18; Athearn, "The 
Church School;" Singleton, "Great Pictures Described by Great Writ- 
ers;" Puffer, "The Psychology of Beauty." 



98 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VIII 
OTHER METHODS OF TEACHING 

In the preceding chapter, the question and picture methods 
have been considered, and in this chapter suggestions are given 
relative to the drill, blackboard, object, lecture, research and 
verse-by-verse methods. Usually the teacher will not use any 
one method alone, but will combine two or more methods in each 
recitation. 

1. Drill Method. Always there will be a real place in the 
Sunday-school for the drill method, which is used mainly in 
helping the pupils to memorize thoroughly such important facts 
and statements of truth as they are likely to need for frequent, 
ready use. Drills should be short, rapid, accurate, orderly, 
varied, and interesting. Some of the possibilities of this method 
are here indicated. (1) In the beginners' department, there 
may be finger exercises, marches, and song drills. (2) In the 
primary department, there may be a Scripture alphabet drill 
by the superintendent, song drills, etc. (3) In the junior de- 
partment, the drill will find its best opportunities. Juniors 
may be drilled on the names of the books of the Bible, on the 
names of the apostles, on finding Bible passages, and on locat- 
ing biographies in the Bible. They may be drilled on choice 
Scripture selections and on some of the great hymns, both new 
and old. They may be drilled on locating places on maps. They 
may be drilled on short catechisms. It would be a mistake to 
begin to teach a catechism earlier than this period, and there 
should be only a limited amount of it here, for the reason that 
catechisms embody abstract truth. In all memory work, there 
should be first explanation and then repetition. (4) In the 
intermediate department, there may be map drills of various 
kinds, drills on biographical and historical facts, and more 
memorizing of Scripture and hymns. (5) In the senior de- 
partment, there may be drill on doctrinal statements and in the 
use of atlas, dictionary and concordance, and further memoriz- 
ing of Scripture and hymns. (6) In the adult department, 
there may be map and factual drills. 



OTHER METHODS OF TEACHING 99 

2. Blackboard Method. A high school teacher was heard to 
say: "I should not be willing to teach where I could not have 
a blackboard, and a good school would not want me if I did not 
use a blackboard." Every Sunday-school teacher above the 
primary grades ought to say, "I must have a blackboard." The 
blackboard may be of slate in the wall of the room, may be of 
cloth hung on the w r all, may be of wood on a standard, may be 
of cloth and adjustable with frame, or may be of pulp for the 
lap. It is possible to get a blackboard for a small sum or 
to have one made by some of the intermediates. It is not neces- 
sary, or desirable, that the teacher should be an artist in order 
to use the blackboard effectively in teaching. He needs only 
to say, "I will," and then keep trying. Some uses of the black- 
board are indicated. (1) In the beginners' department, in con- 
nection with the lesson story, one may draw marks and out- 
line figures to aid the pupils in forming images in their minds 
of persons and objects and roads. (2) In the primary depart- 
ment, a similar use may be made of the blackboard. One 
teacher, in telling the story of "A Little Boy and His Lunch," 
in the feeding of the five thousand, drew with five strokes a 
picture of a boy, with five circles for the five loaves, and two 
simple outlines of fishes. Third grade primary pupils will be 
interested also in words and short sentences, placed upon the 
blackboard by the teacher or by themselves. (3) In the junior 
department, there may be written upon the board, important 
words, names of lesson characters, outline maps and statements 
of fact. Pupils in this department will be interested in black- 
board work that has in it the element of surprise, wherein the 
outline is changed into something else by an added stroke or 
two. One teacher has made effective use of a bright boy who 
smokes cigarettes and drinks beer in order to become a big 
man, and is changed into a big pig. (4) In the intermediate 
department, the blackboard may be used for maps, questions, 
important statements and outlines of facts. (5) In the senior 
and adult departments, there may be blackboard maps and les- 
son outlines. Difficult words w T ill become easier when placed 
upon the blackboard. 

3. Object Method. The object method, like the picture and 
blackboard methods, is exceedingly valuable because it is a 
method of eye-approach, and we know that far more gets into 
the mind and life through the eye than in any other way. Ob- 
jects may be used to lend reality to the lesson story or to sug- 



100 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

gest the thoughts which the teacher wishes to arouse in the 
minds of the pupils. Some of the ways in which objects may 
be used in Sunday-school teaching are the following: (1) 
Models of oriental sandals, sheepfold, well-curb, water-jar, etc., 
will help to transport the pupil into the Bible times and make 
real to him the Bible stories and descriptions. Care must be 
exercised, however, that the pupil shall not acquire a wrong 
idea of the size of that which is represented by the model. (2) 
Common objects of today may represent objects of Bible times. 
For instance, in telling the story of the feeding of the five 
thousand, the five loaves may be represented by crackers or 
hard-tack, and the two fishes by sardines or herring. (3) 
Ribbons or sticks of different lengths may be used to represent 
vividly various proportions, as, for instance, the amount given 
to missions contrasted with amounts spent for strong drink, 
tobacco, chewing gum, picture shows and war. (4) Symbols 
sometimes are used. One teacher used silk handkerchiefs of 
different colors to represent the various parts of the Lord's 
Prayer. Symbols are of doubtful value, as they may easily 
cover up instead of making clear the truth, especially when 
the object is made to stand for an abstract idea. (5) Analogies. 
Familiar objects may be used in teaching by analogy. One 
teacher, for instance, made use of a watch to represent a boy, 
calling attention to various likenesses and differences. Teach- 
ing by analogy has its dangers. The object used as an illus- 
tration may become more prominent in the mind of the pupil 
than the truth itself. 

4. Lecture Method. In using the lecture method, the teacher 
does all the talking, delivering a lecture, or expository sermon. 
With pupils above the junior grades, the lecture method may 
be used occasionally to advantage, provided it be combined 
with other methods, the teacher giving a few minutes to con- 
nected discourse at a time. When used alone, the lecture 
method magnifies the teacher and minimizes the pupils. Dean 
W. W. Charters says: "The chief difficulties with the lecture 
methods are these: The teacher does not know the problems of 
the pupils, and so cannot give them subject-matter in such a 
form as to solve their problems. Most of what the lecturer 
gives is not understood by the pupils, nor is any need for it 
felt." On the other hand, it may be said in favor of the lec- 
ture when skilfully used w T ith seniors or adults, in the Sunday- 
school, particularly those who have not been trained to study, 



OTHER METHODS OF TEACHING 101 

that it is attractive, that it makes for economy of time, and 
tnat it constitutes a powerful appeal to the emotions and the 
will. 

5. Research Method. In the use of this method, the teacher 
is not a talker at all, except incidentally, but is rather the leader 
of a group of investigators. The method may be used to some 
extent with any class of pupils above the primary grades if com- 
bined with other methods. It should not be used exclusively 
except by a trained teacher with a mature class. Suppose the 
lesson were the feeding of the five thousand. One member 
of the class would get all the facts as given in the gospel of 
Matthew and write them down in a succession of brief state- 
ments in his own language. Another would do the same with 
Mark's account, a third with Luke's account, and a fourth 
with John's. One member of the class would look up the 
references and report on these. Another would consult the 
commentaries and Bible dictionaries on "loaves and fishes," 
"passover," "Bethsaida," "lake of Galilee," etc. Yet another 
member of the class would exercise his constructive imagination 
in filling in details. Still another would find illustrative ma- 
terial. Then all together would construct the story of the 
lesson, and discuss its practical teachings. The work under- 
taken might be more difficult than that here indicated, and 
might involve questions of criticism. In connection with this 
method, an effective use might be made of class debates, par- 
ticularly with intermediates or seniors. 

6. Verse-by-Verse Method. In using this method, the teach- 
er says, "Read the first verse. What do you think that 
means?" So with the next verse, and on through. This 
method should never be used with pupils under thirteen years 
of age, and not often with the older pupils. When used at all 
it should be only with certain didactic portions of Scripture, 
as the Epistles. The danger of this method is "spiritualizing," 
the putting in of a spiritual meaning that is not there. We 
read, in Matthew 14:17, "We have here but five loaves and two 
fishes." Now, what is the meaning of "five" and "two?" The 
meaning is that there are five and two. That is all. There is 
no spiritual meaning. The account of the feeding of the five 
thousand, taken as a whole, teaches a number of good prac- 
tical lessons. It is not necessary to try to pull one out of each 
verse. 



102 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. One of my students says, "I have been in a class 
several times where the teacher uses the verse-by-verse method Sun- 
day after Sunday, and I heard one of his pupils say that she did not 
learn anything in his class." We sometimes hear this question asked: 
"What is the matter with the rural church?" Here is one answer: 
"Ours is a country Sunday-school. A class of boys from eight to 
twelve years of age has as teacher a young- man who, after the school 
reads the lesson in concert, has the boys read the lesson verse about. 
The teacher then asks the questions laid down in the quarterly, says 
little or nothing about the questions or answers, takes the pupils' 
pennies, and is usually the first one through the recitation." Here 
is something better: "In my class of junior boys in a country Sunday- 
school, I try to vary my method from time to time. Nearly every 
Sunday we spend a short time with the drill method. The members 
of the class have memorized the names of the books of the Bible, a 
number of selected passages of Scripture, and the biographies of the 
most important characters we have studied. From time to time, we 
review what we have gone over. I call out chapter and verse, and 
members of the class repeat the passage, and again I repeat the 
passage and they tell where it is found." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Why should we study many methods? (2) 
Indicate the possibilities of the drill method. (3) Indicate how the 
blackboard may be used to advantage in teaching in the Sunday- 
school. (4) Discuss the object method. (5) Discuss the advantages 
and disadvantages of the lecture method. (6) What is meant by the 
research method? (7) Why is the verse-by- verse method a poor 
method? (8) Report on some one of these methods as you have seen 
it used. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapters 13, 
16, 17, 18; Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 18; For- 
bush, "Church Work With Boys," chapter 5; Slattery, "The Girl in 
Her Teens," chapters 6, 10; Wood, "Chalk;" Pierce, "Pencil Points;" 
Charters, "Methods of Teaching;" Bagley, "The Educative Process." 



PREPARING THE LESSON 103 



CHAPTER IX 

PREPARING THE LESSON 

Many teachers fail because they do not get ready to teach. 
They depend on the inspiration of the moment. They neglect to 
make proper preparation. They are indifferent or lazy, or both. 
They have no conception of the importance of their work, and 
they are not willing to pay the price of good teaching. 

1. Begin the Preparation Early. The teacher should keep 
at least a week ahead in his lesson preparation all the time. 
The teacher who does this will be able to assign work to the 
pupils intelligently. He will be more interested in the lesson 
himself, and will be able to get the pupils more interested. The 
teacher may devote fifteen or twenty minutes a day to lesson 
study or he may give a whole evening to it, making all his 
preparation at one time; but, in either case, he will make bet- 
ter preparation and will do better teaching if he begins early 
and keeps ahead with his study. In addition to keeping at least 
a week ahead in his definite, immediate lesson preparation, the 
good teacher will keep a year ahead in his general preparation. 
Before beginning to teach the lessons for the year in a given 
grade, he will look over the list of lesson topics as arranged for 
the entire course, that he may understand the plan and know 
what he is about. So, particularly, with each section, or group, 
of the year's lessons. He will make preparation on the whole 
group before teaching the first lesson in the group. Take, for 
instance, the group of stories of Moses and his times in the first 
grade junior course in the International graded series. Before 
beginning to teach these lessons, the teacher should make a study 
of the underlying facts out of which these stories grew, con- 
sulting histories, commentaries, maps and Bible dictionaries. 

2. Locating the Lesson. At the very beginning of his prepa- 
ration, the teacher must see the lesson in its proper setting. He 
must see it in the light of its literary form and its relation to 
the Bible as a whole and to the book from which it is taken. 
The Bible "contains histories and biographies, letters and poems, 
dramas and lyric idyls, the writings of prophets and the pithy 



104 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

sayings of wise men." Always, the teacher should ask himself, 
"What sort of literature is this, and where does the book from 
which the lesson is taken fit in among the sixty-six books ?" 
Sometimes it will be necessary to read the whole book. The 
teacher also must see the book containing the lesson in the light 
of the historical circumstances under which it was composed. 
He must appreciate the situation, put himself back to the time 
of the writing, understand what the book meant then, catch the 
point of view of the writer and of those to whom he was writ- 
ing. He must get into sympathy with the writer and see the 
writing, not merely as literature, but as religious literature, as 
the utterance of a man in touch with God. 

3. Getting the Meaning of the Language. What did the 
author mean to say in these words in this passage? That is 
the fundamental question. It is not what we want him to say, 
nor what men have said he says, nor what our church holds, 
but what does he really say? With this question in mind, the 
conscientious teacher will use his lexicon, his concordance, his 
Bible dictionary, his biblical geography, his commentaries — all 
the available helps he is able to use — in an earnest effort to 
get as nearly at the meaning of the original words of the writer 
as possible. The teacher has no moral right to say what he 
thinks or to make any practical application of the lesson until 
he has first made an honest effort to get at the meaning of 
the language used. A teacher once said to the writer, "What 
do you think that word 'targets' means in today's lesson?" 
Without waiting for the explanation that the word was rendered 
"bucklers" in the Revised Version, and that it meant a long 
shield which protected the entire body, he hastened to answer 
his own question — "I think it means that each soldier put a rifle 
target up by his side so the enemy would shoot at that instead 
of shooting at him." If this man had taken the trouble to read 
the comment on the lesson leaf which he held in his hand, he 
would not have been guilty of such absurd "thinking." When 
the lesson consists of a story, the teacher should seek to gain 
a clear view of the truth, or point, which the story is designed 
to teach, and sometimes he will need to fill in details by the in- 
telligent use of the constructive imagination. 

4. Planning the Lesson for the Pupils. It is one thing for 
the teacher to get the meaning of the lesson for himself, and 
it is another thing to get it to mean something to the pupils. 



PREPARING THE LESSON 105 

And, if he expects to succeed in this difficult undertaking, he 
must plan for it beforehand carefully and wisely. He must plan 
for his beginning and his closing, and all that comes between. 
He must plan to begin with the pupils' own ideas, to bring up 
in their minds such ideas as they may already possess concern- 
ing the theme to be treated; he must plan to arouse the pupils' 
interests and to give them motives to seek further knowledge, to 
get them to want to learn the lesson; he must plan to present 
the lesson logically, to make a single clear impression upon the 
minds of the pupils. In planning to accomplish these aims, the 
teacher must decide on the method or methods to be used. He 
may plan to begin with questions and answers followed by a 
story, or with a story followed by discussion. He may plan to 
begin with an object or picture or handwork. He may plan to 
begin with a debate, or occasionally with a lecture. The method 
or methods of presentation will be chosen with a view to the 
character of the lesson to be taught and the stage of develop- 
ment of the pupil. The lesson plan must be made to fit the 
pupils. Of course it will be impossible to make the lesson plan 
to fit the pupils unless the lesson itself is a fit. This means 
that the lesson must be properly graded, that is, inherently 
adapted to the pupils in this particular stage of development. 
In this connection, it may be well to say that the teacher will 
find occasionally a lesson misfit even in a graded course, for 
the reason that there are still defects in our graded series, ex- 
cellent as they are on the whole. In such case, the teacher 
should not hesitate to substitute a suitable lesson, if he is able 
to do so intelligently. 

5. Make a Selection from the Materials. Many teachers 
make the mistake of trying to teach too much. It is bet- 
ter to teach one thing, and really teach that, than to undertake 
to teach several things, and end in actually teaching noth- 
ing. Over-feeding is not confined to the table, but is found 
oftentimes in the Sunday-school. Many pupils are suffering 
from religious indigestion. The shortest passage offered for 
use in the Sunday-school has more in it than any teacher ought 
to try to teach. The wise teacher will deliberately put aside 
some of the good things in the lesson, selecting one good thing, 
one important truth, for presentation. This process of selection 
and elimination may appear to be a little difficult, but the 
teacher who realizes its necessity will be able to accomplish it 
with patience and practice. In fact it has been done already 



106 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

for the teacher, for the most part, in the graded lessons. 
Usually the lesson title indicates the one truth to be taught. 

6. Making the Application. In real teaching, the lesson must 
get somewhere. It must be brought to a conclusion. It must 
make a definite, lasting impression upon the pupils. It must 
bring home to the pupils an obligation to be something or do 
something. This does not mean that the teaching must take the 
form of exhortation. It seldom should do this. The teaching 
should be such that it will be in itself an exhortation, in effect 
though not in form. Nor does it mean that there must be a 
practical application of a spiritual truth in every lesson. Some- 
times, in the single passage of Scripture which constitutes the 
lesson, taken by itself, there is not any spiritual truth. But 
the lesson is not the less important, for, when taken in connec- 
tion with other lessons, it does contain practical applications for 
the pupils. By making the application, it is meant that the 
lesson must not be left up in the air. It must be brought down 
to earth and hitched on to something. The teaching of the les- 
son must be such that there is formed in the mind of the pupil 
a definite conclusion, impression, conviction, motive, emotion, 
determination. The purpose of the teacher, then, will not be 
simply to "get over the lesson," but to so teach the one lesson 
truth that some change will be wrought in the life of the pupil. 
His aim, as we have said already, in another chapter, is not a 
lesson, but a life. The teacher will ask himself from time to 
time: "What present needs of these pupils does this lesson aim 
to meet? That is, in what respect do I hope that my pupils will 
be different after they have had this lesson?" In order to make 
such application, the teacher must be thinking of the pupils' at- 
titudes and impressions and emotions and purposes and welfare. 
His methods will be suited to the grade of pupils with whom he 
is dealing. He will consider the characteristics of pupils in this 
particular stage of development, and will seek to gauge their 
interests and capabilities and possibilities. He will consider also 
the personality of each individual pupil and seek to make appli- 
cation to his peculiar needs. This kind of teaching involves, on 
the part of the teacher, knowledge, skill, tact, patience, faith, 
and consecration. It leads the pupil to realize vividly the les- 
son truth and to find and make the application himself. 



PREPARING THE LESSON 107 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A successful primary teacher, who of course uses 
graded lessons, says: "I make a general study of all the lessons for 
the year, and then I make special preparation for each lesson, I al- 
ways know something about the lessons ahead, and I keep reviewing 
with the pupils the lessons back of us. I read the Scripture passages 
in my Bible and try to do some real thinking, using the helps merely 
as suggestions. I have access to a standard commentary and a good 
Bible dictionary. After making careful study of the lesson and get- 
ting the facts in mind, I make my teaching plan, keeping my pupils 
before me in my mind. I plan my beginning and closing and all in 
between. I try to introduce little surprises from time to time in my 
teaching. I find that my preparation is easier and better since I took 
training. I took a First Standard training- course first, and have been 
specializing in primary w^ork since. I try to read one good book on 
child study or methods of teaching every two or three months. Also 
I belong to a primary union, and I get good hints from other teachers." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) What is meant by beginning the lesson 
preparation early? (2) Discuss what is said relative to locating the 
lesson. (3) What is meant by getting at the meaning of the language? 
(4) Discuss the planning of the lesson for the pupils. (5) Why should 
the teacher make a selection from the lesson materials? (6) What is 
involved in making the application of the lesson? (7) What do you 
consider the most important suggestion in this chapter? Why? 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 14; 
Slattery, "Talks with the Training Class," chapter 1; Brown, "Plan- 
ning the Lesson." 



108 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER X 

SUNDAY SCHOOL EVANGELISM 

Sunday-school evangelism is safe, sane and sensible. The "ten- 
thousand-dollar revival" and the annual "big meeting" may be 
necessary under existing circumstances, but the circumstances 
ought to be changed — and they may be changed through the 
Sunday-school. Spasmodic, hysteric attempts at rescuing hard- 
ened adults in special meetings would not be necessary if the 
churches were alive to their evangelistic opportunities in the 
Sunday- school. 

1. The Nature ot Conversion. Sunday-school evangelism 
aims at genuine conversion. What, then, is conversion? Joining 
the church is not conversion. Being baptized is not conversion. 
Nor does conversion consist in going forward in a meeting, or 
crying over one's sins, or learning a creed, or understanding the 
plan of salvation, or feeling happy in the Lord, or telling a won- 
derful experience. These things may accompany conversion, but 
they are not conversion. That which constitutes the basis of 
conversion, and which we call "regeneration," is a spiritual pro- 
cess, an act of God. It cannot be seen or heard or felt. When 
one yields himself to Christ in faith, he has been regenerated — 
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" — and the 
moment he accepts his regeneration as a fact and "takes up his 
cross" to follow Jesus, he is converted, whatever may be his feel- 
ings. The regeneration, what God does for the individual, is 
one thing; the conversion, the individual's acceptance of that 
fact, is another thing; and the individual's consequent feeling or 
experience is still another thing. Experiences differ as in- 
dividuals differ. One's experience may be as the sud- 
den flashing of the sunlight into a darkened room, when 
all the doors and windows are thrown wide open; and another's 
experience may be as the gradual dawning of the morning, so 
that he did not know when it ceased to be night and began 
to be day — but, in both cases, the Sun of Righteousness is shin- 
ing into the soul. Adult experiences differ from the experiences 
of boys and girls. Adults should not demand an adult experi- 
ence from a boy or girl at conversion. No boy at twelve ever 



SUNDAY SCHOOL EVANGELISM 109 

had an adult experience; and, if he told one, he got it from an 
adult — and not from the Lord. 

2. The Age of Conversion. The golden age of conversion is 
somewhere between ten and sixteen. The age of conversion will 
depend to some extent upon the individual. Some pupils develop 
more rapidly than others, and some have had better religious 
training than others. Various tables of statistics have been pub- 
lished, throwing light upon the age of conversion. Statistics 
collected by Coe, Starbuck and others show that, of 6241 cases, 
148 were converted under ten, 1871 from twelve to fifteen, 3183 
from sixteen to twenty, 950 from twenty-one to twenty-five, and 
89 from twenty-six to thirty- four. According to these figures, 
the largest number of conversions occur at about sixteen years 
of age. Later statistics collected by Mills, Hall, Hammond and 
others show that, of 3782 cases, 3068 were converted under 
twent,y-one, and 714 over twenty. According to these figures, 
the largest number of conversions occur at about twelve years 
of age. Favorable conditions in the home and in the Sunday- 
school tend to lower the age of conversion. All the statistics 
show that only one-sixth of the conversions take place after 
twenty, and only one-half of this one-sixth after twenty-five. 
If one-half the money and effort now being expended for the 
conversion of adults were put into the winning of converts 
among the young, the returns would be doubtless ten times as 
large as they are. 

3. What of Decision Day? Some Sunday-schools observe 
what is called decision day, when special effort is made to get the 
pupils to decide for Christ and join the church. In some schools 
decision day is an annual affair. And sometimes a hundred or two 
hundred "converts" will sign cards in one of these decision day 
services. Frequently the whole class is thus "converted." No 
doubt some of these converts really are converted, but with 
most of them it is probably a superficial performance. Thus 
many of them are hardened rather than helped. There is danger 
also that those who refuse to be "converted" under high pres- 
sure methods in these services will become hardened against 
proper persuasion, and be lost to the church altogether. If the 
school is to have decision day, it should be when the conditions 
seem favorable, after having been decided on in a conference 
of the officers and teachers, without any announcement to the 
pupils. The decision day service should be held in only one 



110 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

department at a time if there is a separate assembly-room, and 
preferably in the junior and intermediate departments. The 
appeal should be so presented that the pupils may act freely and 
intelligently. No pupil should have occasion to feel afterwards 
that an undue advantage was taken of him, that he was trapped. 
The results of a decision day service should be wisely conserved 
by personal work on the part of teacher and pastor and parent. 
When everything is considered, the better way would seem to be 
to try to make every Sunday a decision day for one or more 
pupils, to conduct a continuous campaign of educational evangel- 
ism. The writer was a worker in a Sunday-school where it was 
thus. There were frequent conversions and additions to the 
church from the Sunday-school in the regular course of spiritual 
events. 

4. The Importance of Atmosphere. That indescribable some- 
thing which we call in education atmosphere should be favorable 
to conversion and the development of the spiritual life. Much 
attention should be given to the arrangement and furnishings of 
the room. "The concrete in environment impresses the child 
most deeply, and the concrete must be made rich with spiritual 
meaning. The only way children get spiritual meanings is 
through the things seen, heard, and physically felt. Good 
work has been done in bad surroundings, but the good work 
has been handicapped thereby, when it might have been 
helped by attention to the surroundings. Let the life developing 
in children have goodly sights, lovely surroundings, light, 
beauty, and cheer. These things which children see remain 
when the things we say have long been forgotten." (Cope.) 
The character and conduct of the program are important factors 
in creating a favorable atmosphere. The program should be 
adapted to the needs of the pupils and should include a period 
of quiet worship, with worshipful songs and short, genuine 
prayers. During this period of worship, there should be no dis- 
cussion of business matters, no making of announcements, and 
no whispering or moving about of pupils or teachers or officers. 
The program should make for order and efficiency. The offi- 
cers and teachers themselves help to make the spiritual atmos- 
phere. They should be healthy-spirited, living evangels, really 
living the religious life, giving their very best to the pupils. 
Their spirit and attitude must be truly Christian. They must be 
inspiring examples in moral integrity, quiet reverence, and ear- 
nest participation. They must contribute to the spiritual effect, 



SUNDAY SCHOOL EVANGELISM 111 

and expect spiritual results. The atmosphere of the school as 
a whole, in the department and the class, should be such that 
conversions may be possible and appropriate every Sunday. 

5. The Right Kind of Teaching. Real teaching will result in 
conversions. We can count on God's doing his part, and on the 
pupils doing their part, if only we do our part. We must im- 
plant true ideas about God and life, and develop right habits 
and worthy attitudes. That is our part. As teachers, we must 
seek to have a sympathetic understanding of the truth and of 
the pupil, and to meet wisely the particular interests and needs 
at each step in the developing life. We should not be all the 
time exhorting the pupils to come to Christ, but the teaching 
should be such that it will draw them to Him. By indirect sug- 
gestion, the pupils will be led to form their own conclusions in 
questions of right and wrong, in matters of morals, as to their 
relation to God and to others, and to make practical, spiritual 
applications for themselves. The intelligent, earnest teacher 
who undertakes to do this kind of teaching, and who tries to 
embody his teaching in his own life, may confidently expect that, 
just before or early in adolescence, the pupil will, in some sacred 
moment of divine impression, yield himself in full . surrender to 
Christ. 

6. Personal Work. Such a teacher as has just been indi- 
cated will be ever on the alert for marks of that moment of 
impression, and will know how to speak the right word in pri- 
vate. In the quiet talk with the pupil alone, there is absent the 
embarrassment felt in the crowd and there is less danger that 
he will do merely what others are doing. In this personal inter- 
view, the teacher should be natural, sincere, direct, simple in 
speech, tactful, speaking as friend to friend. He should not talk 
with the pupil until he feels that the right time has come, and 
then he should not overdo the matter, but at the same time he 
should be patient and persistent, praying for and expecting suc- 
cess. 

7. After Conversion. A teacher said to the writer, "All my 
pupils are converted; what can I do with them now?" "Every- 
thing," I said. "Teach them what it means to be a Christian; 
train them in Christian service; help them to catch a vision of 
unselfish, useful living; fire them with noble ideab, and give 
them practical suggestions in right doing. Your work is not 
merely the saving of souls; it is the larger work of saving lives. 



112 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Conversion is not the end; it is rather the beginning." Every 
teacher would do well to ponder the following: "He only is an 
educator who has the evangelistic vision of the fullness of life; 
he only is an evangelist who broods over the life to bring it into 
that fullness by the steady processes that we call education. The 
one thing we are doing in the Sunday-school is to aid and in- 
spire, lead and stimulate lives into their spiritual heritage and 
fullness. We do well to insist on accurate training in religious 
knowledge, but only as knowledge sanctified by love builds up 
for life. We do well to steadily seek to improve the methods and 
enlarge and adjust the curricula of our schools, but only as all 
shall serve as means and agencies to open the eyes to the vision 
and lead the feet in the way of the glorious life." (Cope.) 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Charles E. McKinley: "It will also be plain that 
the new evangelism, in its effort to work out an effective educational 
system for winning- souls to God, is a return to the method of the 
Master. Jesus was both preacher and teacher; but His purpose 
was one; all His teaching was evangelistic, all His preaching educa- 
tional. As the church approaches the method of Jesus in dealing with 
men, its evangelism will certainly become more educational, its efforts 
at religious education more profoundly evangelistic." Says one of my 
students: "One of the boys in my class accepted Christ and joined 
the church last winter, but he is having a hard time. His family, 
his surroundings, his inherited instincts, all combine to make it hard 
for him. The only good influence in his life seems to be that of our 
class, and we are trying to save, not only his soul, but his life for 
the best Christian service." What do you think of the spirit of this 
teacher? Will she likely succeed? What things will she need to do 
if she does succeed? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Distinguish between regeneration, conversion, 
and experience. (2) Why should we not demand an adult experience 
from boys and girls? (3) What is the golden age of conversion? Why? 
(4) What are some dangers to be avoided in connection with decision 
day? (5) Name some things that help to create an atmosphere favor- 
able to conversion. (6) Discuss the importance of the right kind 
of teaching and personal work in connection with conversion. (7) 
Show that Sunday-school evangelism includes far more than conver- 
sion. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 20; 
Slattery, "Talks with the Training Class," chapter 10; Cope, "Effi- 
ciency in the Sunday-school," chapter 11; McKinley, "Educational 
Evangelism." 



Part III 

The (School— Administration 



ORGANIZING THE SCHOOL 115 



CHAPTER I 

ORGANIZING THE SCHOOL 

The old-style Sunday-school with one assembly and one super- 
intendent with an assistant, is an anachronism in our day. It 
has no proper place in a modern scheme of religious education. 
The modern Sunday-school is departmental, and has from three 
to eight assemblies, and as many superintendents. 

L Reasons for Departments. At a Sunday-school convention 
recently, a prominent business man, who is the superintendent 
of a Sunday-school of six hundred in a city of more than a half 
million people, described his school with an air of one who felt 
that he had a model. As a matter of fact, he had a backwoods 
Sunday-school in the midst of a great city. He himself was the 
high and mighty superintendent, or boss, of the whole school, 
and he had two "assistant superintendents," who were in effect 
merely pages to assist him in carrying out his own ideas. He was 
using the Uniform lessons, and had his whole school together for 
the opening and closing "exercises." He had simply accepted 
the school as it had been turned over to him twenty years before, 
without asking why it should be organized and conducted in that 
particular way, and he had kept it that way, except that it had 
grown in numbers, and to a certain extent also in efficiency. He 
had not been attending the Sunday-school conventions and train- 
ing schools, and had not kept up with the literature of the sub- 
ject. If he were as out of date in his own business as in the 
Sunday-school it would be difficult to understand how he could 
make a living at it. If this good, earnest, enthusiastic man had 
been up-to-date in his Sunday-school work, he would have been 
the superintendent simply of the adult department, and there 
would have been seven other departmental superintendents, each 
with just as much authority as himself, and with just as much 
work and responsibility. Each of the eight superintendents 
would have been responsible for everything pertaining to his 
own department— teachers, assistant officers, lessons, programs 
— and for that alone. Then there would have been a superin- 
tendent of these eight superintendents, another member of the 
church, the pastor, or, in a church with the numbers and wealth 



116 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

that this had, this superintendent of superintendents, this gen- 
eral superintendent, would have been a second pastor, equal in 
authority and importance with the other pastor, and with equal 
pay, a director of religious education. With such an organiza- 
tion as this, a Sunday-school of such size in that location, with 
its constituency, might have been one of the mightiest religious 
forces on the continent. Why? Because it would then have 
been taking account of the fact that pupils of different ages, in 
different stages of development, have fundamentally different 
interests and needs, and would have recognized that the re- 
ligious needs of pupils could be adequately met only by dividing 
them into groups or departments, each department being di- 
rected by a responsible head, or superintendent, who was study- 
ing particularly the needs and problems of pupils in that par- 
ticular stage of development. Moreover, the very fact that the 
school had eight responsible heads, or superintendents, instead 
of one, would have developed competent leaders and have made 
for practical efficiency. Incidentally, it may be said also that 
it would have been in line with modern ideas of organization in 
business and in the day-school. Now, let no one conclude, from 
what has been said above about the large Sunday-school, that 
departmental organization is not needed in the small schools. 
No Sunday-school is too small to be organized departmentally. 
It may not have quite so many departments, but it should have 
at least three departments, and more if possible, and as many 
departmental superintendents. 

2. Outline of Organization. Even a very small, weak school 
should have at least two departments. They might be called ele- 
mentary and advanced. In the elementary department would be 
all the pupils from three to twelve years of age, and in the ad- 
vanced department all the pupils thirteen years of age and over. 
If there is only the one room that is used for preaching, then 
another room should be built for the elementary department, so 
it may have its own opening service; and, in the meantime, the 
elementary department may meet in a near-by residence, or out 
under the trees in fair, mild weather. Each of the two depart- 
ments should have its own responsible superintendent and sec- 
retary, pianist or organist, and corps of teachers. In a school 
having as many as one hundred pupils, there should be at least 
three departments. They might be called primary, junior and 
advanced. In the primary department, would be all the pupils 
from three to eight years of age, with separate assembly-room, 



ORGANIZING THE SCHOOL 117 

superintendent and other workers; in the junior department, 
would be all the pupils from nine to twelve years of age, with 
separate assembly-room, superintendent and other workers; and, 
in the advanced department, would be all the pupils from thir- 
teen years of age and over, meeting in the main auditorium, 
with superintendent and full corps of workers. In a school hav- 
in two hundred or more, there should be full departmental or- 
ganization, with eight departments — cradle roll, beginners, pri- 
mary, junior, intermediate, senior, adult, and home depart- 
ments. These names are not scientific, and the divisions are not 
altogether satisfactory, but they are those that are, at the pres- 
ent time, accepted by leading Sunday-school workers, and 
adopted by the International Sunday School Association. Some 
favor following the day-school plan of organization and adopt- 
ing their nomenclature. The outline of organization, as gen- 
erally adopted, is as follows: (1) Cradle roll department. Pu- 
pils one, two, and three years of age. Superintendent and 
assistants. As a rule, the members in this department do not 
attend Sunday-school. In some larger schools, there is a cradle 
roll nursery, a suitable room completely separated from the 
main auditorium, where the cradle roll superintendent and as- 
sistants entertain the children with educational games while 
the mothers are in a Sunday-school class and in the preaching 
service. In other Sunday-schools, there is a cradle roll class of 
children about three years of age, in connection with the begin- 
ners' department. (2) Beginners' department. Two grades, pu- 
pils about four and five years of age. A separate assembly- 
room and at least two classrooms. A superintendent, secretary, 
pianist or organist. At least two teachers. Two sets of graded 
lessons, and three if there is a cradle roll class. There should 
be about six pupils in a class. (3) Primary department. Pupils 
about six, seven and eight years of age. Day-school grades, one 
to three. Three grades, three sets of graded lessons, and at least 
three teachers, with from six to eight pupils in a class. Better, 
six teachers, with a class of first grade boys and one of girls, 
a class of second grade boys and one of girls, and a class of 
third grade boys and one of girls. There is needed a full corps 
of officers and teachers, with a separate assembly-room and six 
classrooms. (4) Junior department. Pupils about nine, ten 
eleven and twelve years of age. Day-school grades, four to 
seven. Four grades and four sets of graded lessons. At least 
four teachers, and better, eight. Boys separated from the girls. 



118 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

A class of first grade junior boys and one of girls, a class of 
second grade boys and one of girls, a class of third grade 
boys and one of girls, and a class of fourth grade boys and one 
of girls. A full corps of officers, with a separate assembly- 
room and eight classrooms. There should be from six to twelve 
in a class, and each class may be organized. (5) Intermediate 
department. Pupils about thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen 
years of age. Day-school grades, eight to eleven. Four grades 
and four sets of graded lessons, with at least four teachers and 
preferably eight, four classes of boys and four of girls. A full 
corps of officers, with a separate assembly-room and eight 
classrooms. There should be ten to fifteen in a class, with class 
organization. (6) Senior department. Pupils about seventeen, 
eighteen, nineteen, and twenty years of age. Day-school grades, 
twelve to fifteen. Four grades and four sets of graded lessons, 
with at least one class of young men and one of young women. 
Sometimes there are eight classes, four of each sex, and, in other 
schools, four mixed classes, one class for each of the four grades. 
A full corps of officers, with separate assembly-room and eight 
classrooms. Every class should be organized, and one of these 
should be a teacher-training class. (7) Adult department. Pu- 
pils twenty-one years of age and over. As many classes as pos- 
sible, and as many teachers and graded lessons. There should 
be a class of young men, and one of young women. There should 
be a class for the mothers of cradle roll babies, and a class of 
young married people. There should be a class for the older 
men and another for the older women. This department may 
meet in the main church auditorium for brief opening services, 
and then have a separate class program. Every class should 
be organized. (8) Home department. Composed of adults who 
cannot attend Sunday-school regularly. They are mothers, in- 
valids, and those who work on Sunday. They have a superin- 
tendent, with special home department lessons and literature, 
but do not have a teacher. Some of them may attend occasional- 
ly, and they should have a place in the rally day program. 
There may be an occasional home department reception between 
Sundays. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. How does your Sunday-school measure up to the 
ideal of this chapter? Discuss the following: "I had a class of a 
dozen boys in a country Sunday-school. They were between the 



ORGANIZING THE SCHOOL 119 

ages of twelve and fourteen. They were doing" nicely and beginning 
to corne regularly, when the superintendent found two little boys of 
seven who he thought were too old for the primary class in the school, 
so he decided to put them in this class. Of course the boys felt that 
a great indignity had been heaped upon them, and the class was 
broken up. Some left Sunday-school altogether, and the rest became 
irregular attendants of the young men's class. The two little boys 
would not have objected to going with a class of girls of their own 
age, but the superintendent would not hear to this, so the class was 
broken up." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Why should a Sunday-school be organized by 
departments? (2) Outline the organization of a very small Sunday- 
school. (3) Outline the organization of a small Sunday-school having 
as many as one hundred pupils. (4) Name the eight departments 
of a Sunday-school having a membership of two hundred or more. 

(5) Give the essentials of organization in a cradle roll department. 

(6) Name the essentials of organization in each of the other seven de- 
partments. (7) Drill on the outline of organization until you know 
it as you know your A B C's. 

3. References. Meyer, "The Graded Sunday School in Principle and 
Practice;" Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School;" Smith, "The Sun- 
day School of Today;" Athearn, "The Church School;" Haslett, "The 
Pedagogical Bible School;" Lawrance, "How to Conduct a Sunday 
School." 



120 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER II 

SUNDAY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 

Organization in itself of course will not make a good Sunday- 
school, but it is nevertheless absolutely essential to success. 
There must be, back of all, the divine power working through 
consecrated Christians, who in turn work through organization. 
Sunday-school inefficiency usually is not due to too much ma- 
chinery, but rather to a failure to turn on the power and to run 
the plant at full capacity. To do this, we must have heads of de- 
partments that understand the machinery and that know how to 
keep it going. That is, we must have complete organization plus 
competent management. 

1. Choosing the Officers. The choosing of the officers is a 
matter of vital importance. (1) The officers needed. There is 
needed a general superintendent of superintendents, or director 
of religious education, and a superintendent of each depart- 
ment. In addition to the superintendents, there should be a gen- 
eral secretary for the whole school, a general treasurer, a gen- 
eral librarian, and a general secretary of enrolment, or classi- 
fication. In a small school two or more of these offices may be 
combined in one, and, in any case, the work of enrolment and 
classification might be done under the direction of the general 
secretary and assistants. Each general officer should have 
such assistants as are needed. In each department, there will 
be a superintendent, a departmental secretary, pianist, libra- 
rian, and such other workers as are needed, with a full corps of 
teachers. There should be only such officers as are actually 
needed for the effective doing of the work. (2) Necessary 
qualifications. The general superintendent should be chosen 
for his educational qualifications. No matter how good he is 
religiously and morally, he must also be good educationally. 
The Sunday-school is an educational institution, and must have 
an educator at its head. If the church is strong enough to 
pay a good salary, then the director of religious education 
should be one who has been thoroughly trained for this posi- 
tion professionally in college and university. If a paid super- 
intendent is out of the question, then it will be necessary to 



SUNDAY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 121 

choose for the place the most wide-awake and best trained man 
or woman in the church. Sometimes there is available a day- 
school superintendent, principal, or teacher, whose pedagogical 
training will be a valuable asset in the Sunday-school. If there 
are none available who have had special training, ii will be ad- 
visable to choose some younger, open-minded person who will 
read and study, and who will devote a reasonable amount of 
time to the work. Under no circumstances should one be chosen 
simply because he is good, or because he is always present, or 
because he has been in the church a long while, or because he 
seems interested, or because he wants the position, or because 
there are some who want to do him honor. The superintendency 
is not an honor; it is rather a responsibility. Things to con- 
sider in choosing departmental superintendents are character, 
interest, general education, special training, willingness to study 
definitely the particular problems of the department. Each 
of the other officers should be chosen because of some special 
fitness for that particular work. Frequently it will be advisable 
for the pastor of the church to serve as the general superin- 
tendent, if he has had special training for the work. (3) How 
chosen. The exact method of choosing superintendents will de- 
pend, to some extent, on the character of the church polity; but, 
in every instance, superintendents should be chosen, or at least 
nominated, by a comparatively small number of individuals who 
are able to intelligently canvass the qualifications of the possi- 
bilities. Sometimes it comes to pass that Sunday-school offi- 
cials are elected in a "church meeting" by individuals who do 
not even attend Sunday-school and who know nothing whatever 
about a superintendent's proper qualifications. Such a proceed- 
ing is perfectly absurd, and accounts in part for many poor 
Sunday-schools. The general superintendent may be chosen, or 
nominated, by a committee especially appointed for the purpose, 
by a board of deacons, elders or stewards, or by a standing edu- 
cational committee having under its supervision all the edu- 
cational work of the church. The other general officers and 
the departmental superintendents may be appointed by the gen- 
eral superintendent, if he is competent, in consultation with a 
standing educational committee. The departmental superin- 
tendent should nominate his assistant officers and his teachers, 
subject to the approval of the officers' conference. 

2. Unity and Co-operation. Unity and cooperation in the 
Sunday-school may be secured principally in three ways. That 



122 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

is, through an officers' conference, through departmental con- 
ferences, and through a school conference. (1) Officers 9 confer- 
ence. There should be such a conference as often as once a 
month, regularly and unfailingly. Imagine yourself present at 
an officers' conference in a well-organized, well-managed Sun- 
day-school. The general secretary has sent out a written or 
printed notice to all who ought to be present, and the general 
superintendent has supplemented the secretary's work with 
written and spoken reminders. Also he saw that the secretary 
did not forget to send out the notices. All are present. Besides 
the general superintendent or director of religious education, 
there are present all the departmental superintendents, the gen- 
eral secretary, the general treasurer, and the pastor. The meet- 
ing opens promptly with prayer and with the reading of a Bible 
chapter or with Scripture quotations. The general secretary 
reads the minutes of the previous officers' conference. Then 
there are written reports from all present. The general secre- 
tary reports gains and losses for the month, by departments, 
and the totals for the whole school. The treasurer gives a finan- 
cial report, by departments and for the whole school. Each of 
the departmental superintendents reports for his department 
any changes in teachers for the approval of the conference, and 
p ,-esents progress, problems, and proposals. This report is dis- 
cussed, questions are asked, and help is given. The general 
superintendent reports the amount of time and effort given 
to the Sunday-school, and also presents problems and sugges- 
tions. The pastor reports what he has done for the school, and 
offers suggestions. All plans presented are first discussed and 
then voted on. Everybody has his say. All feel their responsi- 
bility, and each is trying to help the others. No important step 
is taken in any department until it is first discussed in this 
conference. Here are made the plans of the Sunday-school with 
reference to special days and efforts, and other matters of vital 
importance. Here are determined the policies of the school. 
Here are born and nourished unity and cooperation. Here the 
leaders have a chance to get acquainted with one another, they 
come to understand and appreciate one another, and they can 
work together intelligently. The result in thought and plans 
and efficiency is thus far greater than if each were working 
alone. No departmental superintendent has any authority 
over any other superintendent, but he can offer suggestion and 
encouragement to all the others. He is the responsible head of 



SUNDAY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 123 

his own department, but he seeks and welcomes suggestions 
from all the others. The general superintendent does his work 
through the departmental superintendents. He is not a boss, 
but a leader. Each department is complete in itself, doing its 
own work in its own way, but it is working in harmony with 
all the other departments, and all together constitute one effi- 
cient Sunday-school. (2) Departmental conferences. Each de- 
partmental superintendent should hold a conference with the 
teachers and officers of that department regularly once a month, 
a week or a few days before the meeting of the officers' confer- 
ence if possible. I was present at one of these departmental con- 
ferences. There were present the superintendent of the primary 
department, and her secretary, pianist, and teachers, with three 
supply and prospective teachers. They were meeting this time 
at the superintendent's home, at four o'clock in the afternoon of 
Friday. All stood and recited together the Lord's Prayer. The 
secretary read the departmental report for the month, and 
there was some discussion emphasizing the progress made. 
The superintendent then asked each teacher in turn to 
state some problem or experience, and each time there 
was some discussion. Helpful suggestions were offered. 
Some plans were made for securing better order during the 
opening service in the department, and all were asked to be get- 
ting ready to discuss children's day plans at the next conference. 
The superintendent asked for suggestions with reference to the 
Sunday program, and then indicated how she would teach the 
third grade primary lesson for the following Sunday, and this 
was suggestive as to method of treatment of the other lessons 
as well. Then one of the teachers read a carefully prepared, 
suggestive review of Prof. Athearn's treatment of the primary 
department in "The Church School." This was followed by dis- 
cussion. The conference closed with a prayer by the superin- 
tendent. Departmental conferences take the place of the old- 
fashioned teachers' meeting, and they are far better. They 
promote unity, cooperation, and efficiency in the department. 
(3) School conferences. Once every three months, shortly after 
every third officers' conference, say in September, December, 
March, and June, there should be held a school conference, at 
which are present all the officers, general and departmental, all 
the teachers, and the president and two other members from 
every organized class, above the junior department. This may 
be considered the business meeting of the Sunday-school. Quar- 



124 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

terly reports are read by the secretaries and treasurers, general 
and departmental. Important plans and policies are presented 
and voted on after discussion. It might be well to have at 
this meeting, as a part of the program, at least occasionally, an 
address by a visitor who is able to bring a vital message. Or 
there may be prepared talks by officers or teachers. Refresh- 
ments may or may not be served, according to facilities and cir- 
cumstances. One of these quarterly meetings should be an an- 
nual meeting, at which are heard reports for the past year and 
at which a budget and policies are adopted for the coming year. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Is your general superintendent the best to which 
your Sunday-school is entitled? If not, why not? If so, how did you 
get him? Is your Sunday-school properly managed? If not, what are 
you going- to do about it? There is always a way to do better. It 
might be well to get before the church as a whole, the matter of 
proper Sunday-school organization and management, through a visit- 
ing" specialist or through some competent individual in the church. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) What is needed usually when there seems to 
be too much Sunday-school machinery? (2) Name the officers needed 
in a modern Sunday-school. (3) Discuss the qualification of Sunday- 
school superintendents. (4) Discuss the method of choosing- Sunday- 
school officers. (5) Describe an ideal officers' conference. (6) Show 
what is meant by departmental conferences, and indicate their value. 
(7) Discuss the school conference. 

3. References. See preceding chapter. 



THE SUNDAY PROGRAM 125 



CHAPTER III 

THE SUNDAY PROGRAM 

In the word program, we include everything done in the Sun- 
day-school on any given day. It is the plan of procedure. It is 
the part of the machine that turns out the product. It may be 
regarded both as method and subject matter. If good, it means 
success ; if poor, it means failure. 

1. Its Value. The superintendent of a large Sunday-school, 
but one that was not large for its opportunities, in his opening, 
one rainy day, spoke as follows : "Well, we are about ten min- 
utes late beginning this morning. It is a bad morning, and 
there are not many of us here, so we'll just have a short service, 
because I do not want to take any time from the teaching. Now, 
what shall we sing?" Certainly, that was a bad opening, for 
several reasons. It indicated clearly to the visitor that the 
superintendent did not begin to appreciate the importance of 
his work, that he had no program prepared, that he had given 
no real thought to the needs of his school, that he had had no 
training for his position, and that he had no conception of the 
true value of a real program. This man had been a day-school 
teacher, too! If he had known at all what a program is for, he 
would have realized that a teacher with a "lesson" does no more 
teaching than does the superintendent with his program, that 
the lesson period is only a part of the teaching period, that he 
himself, at that very time, was doing some bad teaching. There 
is, indeed, some kind of teaching going on, every moment of the 
time, from the opening until the closing, and it is the part of 
the superintendent to see that all of it is good teaching. He can 
teach reverence, worship, order, respect, love, attention, indus- 
try, punctuality, and loyalty. He has a magnificent oppor- 
tunity in particular to train the religious emotions and to train 
pupils in social living. He is the most important of the teach- 
ers. 



126 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

2. Its Preparation. A superintendent that does not spend, 
on the average, at least an hour getting ready for Sunday, ought 
either to resign or to repent and do better. When I say that, 
I am not thinking at all of the "lesson," but of the program, 
which is lesson. Here are a few suggestions: (1) Begin prepa- 
ration at least three months m advance, and better, one year, by 
clipping from papers and by making notes of helpful sugges- 
tions, keeping all in order in a scrap-book. Be always looking 
for ideas in books, journals, and conventions. (2) Write out 
each Sunday's program beforehand upon a single sheet of paper, 
and afterwards write upon the other side the record of the day, 
as to attendance, weather, and success or failure, and keep on 
file for reference. (3) Make changes from time to time. Do not 
get into ruts. Appreciate the value of variety in gaining atten- 
tion and in arousing and directing. Give the pupils little sur- 
prises, keeping them awake and also keeping yourself awake. 
You may have a general order for three months, say, and then 
arrange another order for three months. And, in following 
the general order, do not stick to it too closely. Introduce 
some little change or changes every week. (4) Arrange the 
program for the pupils, and not for yourself or some other indi- 
vidual. Put in nothing until you have looked at it through a 
why. Then everything that goes in will be there for a reason, 
to accomplish a definite purpose. Everything must be graded 
to meet the needs of the pupils in your department, and, if you 
are to do the grading, you must study the psychology of pupils 
in this stage of development. First study a First Standard 
course, such as is found in this book, and then study particularly 
the characteristics and problems of pupils about the ages of 
those in your department. If you are a junior superintendent, 
seek to become, to some extent at least, a junior specialist. Read 
and hear everything possible on junior nature and junior needs. 
Then you are in a position to study your own pupils intelligently 
and to plan for them helpfully. Then you will know how to 
find and train good teachers, and how to do some good teaching 
yourself through a well-ordered program. Incidentally, it will 
be well to keep in mind the season of the year, to take account 
of special days, and to know the general character of the les- 
sons being used at the time. (5) Consult your teachers, in the 



THE SUNDAY PROGRAM 127 

departmental conference. Do not be a boss, but rather a 
leader. Question your teachers, and get their ideas. In this 
way, you will receive valuable suggestions, and also will have 
their cooperation in carrying out your plans, because then 
your plans are in part their plans, and because also they know 
what you are trying to do. Thus you get their ideas, their 
sympathy, and their practical cooperation. 

3. Its Conduct. Your Sunday-school may be poorly equipped, 
and all the departments may have to meet in the one assembly- 
room, but you ought at least to prepare and conduct a program 
for your own department once every six weeks. So everything 
that has been said, and that will be said, in this chapter, is in 
point. The following are offered as suggestions relative to the 
conduct, or carrying out, of a program: (1) Be present every 
Sunday or have a substitute who is prepared. And have a sub- 
stitute occasionally. Get away once in awhile, for the sake of 
the school and yourself. Visit another school for ideas and in- 
spiration, and it may be to give ideas and encouragement. Go 
visiting, in this way, once every three months, anyway. This 
will be good teaching, for it will show that you believe in your 
work, and that you are trying to do better at it all the while. 
Be careful, though, not to go hunting, or fishing, or napping, 
instead of learning. (2) Be present on time. This means at 
least fifteen minutes before the time for opening. Be present 
to get \our desk in order, to get yourself composed, to get your 
plans in mind, to see that the room is in order and properly 
ventilated, and to smile at the earliest of your pupils and teach- 
ers. This is good teaching, but tardiness in a superintendent is 
bad teaching. (3) Begin on time. Have a timepiece you can 
trust, then trust yourself, and do not abuse your faith in your- 
self. It is good teaching to begin on time. It shows that you 
keep your word, that you value the time allotted, that you ap- 
preciate your opportunity — in short, that you know your busi- 
ness. Do not wait on the pianist, or a teacher, or pupils. 
Change your plans for the beginning if necessary, but begin, 
and the rest of them soon will appreciate the situation and come 
on time. Have one of your teachers, in the monthly depart- 
mental conference, read a paper on the value of punctuality. 



128 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Then you have your say, to the teachers alone — never before the 
pupils. And do not scold the pupils for being late. Talking 
will not accomplish the purpose, but planning will, and the place 
to do the planning is in the departmental conference. Reach the 
pupils mainly through the teachers. Take account of the pupil's 
punctuality in the class record, in the lower grades, and let 
tardiness count against him in his standing for promotion. In 
brief, set an example yourself, get your teachers to do the 
same, and then make it to the advantage of the pupils to be on 
time. (4) Stay in your place, at your desk, and be an example 
in self-contained, reverent conduct. Never talk to anybody dur- 
ing song, prayer, or reading, and see that your teachers do not. 
Do not run about here and there, looking after this, that and 
the other, making confusion and showing that you did not get 
ready beforehand. Behave yourself. Do not merely tell the 
pupils how to act, but rather show them how. This is good 
teaching, and anything else is bad teaching. (5) Keep things 
moving after you get started. Avoid stops and pauses and de- 
lays. If you have made careful preparation, and have the co- 
operation of your teachers, you ought to be able to keep things 
moving right along smoothly and effectively. (6) Control not 
with bell or yell. They do not check, but rather promote, dis- 
order. They will not be necessary if you will speak out dis- 
tinctly, and not too loudly. (7) Bring your best smile to Sun- 
day-school, and use it frequently. Do not allow yourself to get 
out of sorts or to exhibit vexation. Be optimistic and radiate 
sunshine. Believe in your Lord, yourself, your teachers, your 
pupils. (8) Study your teachers and pupils, without appearing 
to do so, and be careful not to interfere with the work of the 
teachers. (9) Protect the classes from interruption during the 
lesson period, and keep the secretary out of sight. (10) Occa- 
sionally bring inspiration to your teachers and pupils through a 
visitor, if you are quite sure it will be really an inspiration. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. (1) "Our school is opened with singing, followed by 
the reading of the lesson and another song and prayer, and then the 
classes take their places. It is the same every Sunday, only some- 
times we sing three songs instead of two at the beginning." Do you 



THE SUNDAY PROGRAM 129 

suppose it is possible for such a school to turn out many useful 
Christians? (2) "I gave our superintendent a pamphlet describing 
a correspondence course, and he said he thought it might be a good 
thing and that he might take the course, but I fear that he will not. 
I wish he would. He needs particularly the lesson on The Sunday 
Program. He spends three-quarters of an hour every Sunday get- 
ting the school opened, and he spends half of that time talking, him- 
self. It is the same thing every Sunday." What ought to be done 
with that superintendent? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Indicate the value of a good program in Sun- 
day-school. (2) Name and discuss five suggestions relative to the 
preparation of a program. (3) Give ten suggestions relative to the 
proper conduct of a program. (4) Outline a sample program that you 
consider suitable for juniors. (5) Outline a program as conducted in 
your Sunday-school last Sunday. 

3. References. Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapters 
12, 13; Athearn, "The Church School." See other references in 
chapter one of this oart. 



GETTING GOOD TEACHERS 131 



CHAPTER IV 

GETTING GOOD TEACHERS 

There are plenty of good teachers for Sunday-schools every- 
where. Why, then, is it that the average school has too few 
teachers, and most of these inefficient? Because usually there 
is not even one individual there who knows how to find good 
teachers. They wait until they need them, and then expect 
them to appear suddenly, by magic, instead of going about the 
matter intelligently and using the means that God has pro- 
vided. 

1. Where They Are. I was in a Sunday-school in a little 
town, one Sunday morning, where there were only three classes. 
There was "the Bible class," and not a Bible in it, composed of 
pupils of both sexes, ranging in age from twelve to seventy, 
taught by the one superintendent. Afterwards, one of the 
youngest girls in the class said that she did not know what the 
teacher was talking about. There was a second class, the "in- 
fant class," and not an infant in it, composed of pupils from 
four to ten, taught by an elderly lady. Then there was a third 
class of "young people," composed of pupils of both sexes, rang- 
ing in age from fifteen to thirty, taught by a middle-aged lady. 
In the afternoon, in a conference, I pointed out the need for 
better grading and more teachers, and the superintendent of the 
school with three teachers said, "Well, I wish you would tell us 
how to get them, for I have been trying for thirty years, and I 
cannot find them." I said, "I see at least two here now. The 
good-looking lady there, who plays your organ, and the good- 
looking gentleman just on my left here, who assisted in the 
taking of the offering at the preaching service this morning." 
The lady was about twenty-seven years of age, had been married 
about five years, was unusually intelligent looking, a member of 
that church, and she was the superintendent's daughter. The 
gentleman was about thirty years of age, was married, a pros- 
perous banker, an interested member of that church, and he was 
the superintendent's son. That superintendent, you see, had 
lived in the same house, and then in the same community, with 
two good teachers for years, and had never discovered them. 



132 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Continuing the discussion that afternoon, I urged the following 
considerations: (1) Be looking for teachers at least one year 
before you expect to use them. They cannot be found in three 
minutes or three days. It takes time to find them, and time to 
get them ready. Many individuals refuse to teach because they 
are not rightly approached. It is too sudden. They feel that 
somebody is trying to take snap judgment on them. They feel 
that they are not competent, and they have had no opportunity 
to get ready to teach. (2) Look among the young people. That 
is the way the day-school does. Who ever heard of a day-school 
superintendent going about among the gray-heads and bald- 
heads, looking for teachers, unless these had begun to teach 
when they were younger, and had acquired training and ex- 
perience? Get your young people, from sixteen to twenty-five 
years of age to thinking about teaching and to be looking for- 
ward to teaching. (3) Look in the day-school. Most of the 
day-school teachers have had more or less training in psychology 
and pedagogy that would be useful in the Sunday-school. If a 
day-school teacher is a good Christian, he is far more likely, 
evidently, to make a good Sunday-school teacher than one who 
is, for instance, a merchant, lawyer, or farmer. (4) Do not 
be too easily discouraged. Do not take one no for an answer. 

2. How to Train Them. I asked an attractive-looking young 
lady whom I met at a convention, "Do you teach in the Sunday- 
school ?" She answered, "No, but I should like to if I knew 
how." She was a good church member, and wanted to be use- 
ful, but no one had helped her to know how. Her parents had 
not, her superintendent had not, and her pastor had not. They 
had not learned that one may be good, and not be a good teacher; 
that it is presumption, and not faith, that leads us to expect 
God to give us good teachers when we refuse to comply with His 
condition, which is training. See the third item in the divine 
program, the Great Commission. Now, the best way to train 
Sunday-school teachers, is to put teacher-training into the cur- 
riculum, making it a part of our regular teaching. I organized 
a teacher-training class with ten members one Sunday morning 
in a country Sunday-school, to meet at the Sunday-school hour, 
and they selected as teacher a young man who was attending the 
high school in town. Consider the following suggestions: (1) 
Membership. Limit membership in the training class mainly to 
young people. They are more likely to do the studying, and they 
will do better work without the older people. Two members 



GETTING GOOD TEACHERS 133 

would justify the existence of the class, but usually it is possible 
to have a larger number. (2) Enrolling. Do not ask for vol- 
unteers, but select those who will likely become the best teach- 
ers. Let it be understood that it is a distinct honor to be asked 
to enroll in this class. (3) Relations. Guard against any ap- 
pearance of antagonism between this class and any other class 
in the Sunday-school. If there are organized classes of young 
people, have each to elect a few of its members, with the under- 
standing that they are simply excused for the teaching period, 
and that they are to retain all their privileges in the organized 
class. One whole class of young people, in a small town, was 
turned into a training class. (4) Time and place. This class 
should meet at the regular Sunday-school hour, just as any 
other class, in a separate room if possible, but this is not abso- 
lutely necessary. The class should have a special room in the 
new building, and, in the meantime, there may be an available 
room in the parsonage or in some other near-by building. (5) 
Text-book. Each member of the class, as well as the teacher, 
should have a text-book, such as this, or some other that is 
modern and that meets the First Standard requirements. These 
books should be paid for out of the Sunday-school treasury, but 
may be paid for by the members of the class if that seems pref- 
erable. (6) Lesson. A chapter in the text should constitute 
the lesson material, with additional matter found in the refer- 
ences, and this should take the place of any other Sunday-school 
lesson. Thus about a year will be required for the completion 
of the course. See later chapter for suggestions relative to 
library. (7) Teacher. Have as teacher, if possible, a day-school 
teacher or a high school or college student. If no one who is at 
least fairly competent can be found to act as teacher, then let 
the members of the class take turns teaching. (8) Practice. 
A member of this class may be asked occasionally to serve as 
supply teacher for another class, but not often enough to inter- 
fere seriously with his training work. (9) Examinations. The 
questions for examination may be obtained from the state head- 
quarters of the International Sunday School Association. Com- 
plete instructions will be sent with the questions. It may be 
found advisable to have two examinations, one on the first half 
of the course, at the end of six months, and the other on the 
second half at the completion. (10) Diplomas. Those who pass 
a satisfactory examination will receive a beautiful diploma. The 
receiving of a diploma should not mean that the recipient is 



134 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

fully trained, but that he has made a good start and that he will 
continue with more advanced work. (11) Graduation. Have a 
special program, with an address and the formal delivery of 
diplomas. The address may be given by the pastor, the general 
superintendent, or a visitor especially invited for the occasion. 
A preaching service should be devoted to the graduation. The 
graduates should be made to feel that their effort to become 
good teachers is appreciated. (12) Graduates. In choosing 
teachers, always give the preference to those who have taken 
training, and to those who are the best trained. When it comes 
to be understood that those who would teach in your Sunday- 
school must be trained, it will be considered an honor to be one 
of your teachers, and soon you will be in a position to gradually 
eliminate all incompetent teachers. (13) Present teachers. For 
the benefit of those who are now teaching and who have not had 
training, maintain a training class, such as has been indicated 
above, meeting between Sundays, in addition to the training 
class meeting on Sunday. Those who have completed a First 
Standard course may continue their training in another more 
advanced class, in the departmental conference, in observation 
work in other schools, and in institutes and conventions. (14) 
Discouragements. Do not give up the fight for trained teachers, 
however many the discouragements. If you cannot accomplish 
it one way, then try another way. If it seems impossible to keep 
a training class going a year, then keep it going for six months, 
and, after a six months' intermission, take it up again and carry 
it to completion. Have an institute or convention with your 
own school whenever possible, and have a specialist to spend a 
Sunday with you occasionally. (15) Inaugurations. When a 
new teacher has been permanently assigned to a class, hold a 
brief inaugural service, in the department, to impress both 
teacher and pupils with the importance of the work. Before 
appointing any one as permanent teacher, first "try out" the 
individual as a supply teacher, with various classes, until it 
seems certain that the teacher and the class suit each other. 
After a teacher has been inaugurated, it should be understood 
that he has no more moral right to leave the class without a 
teacher at any time than the minister has to leave the congre- 
gation without a preacher, and that he is expected to get a 
supply or to notify the departmental superintendent if he finds 
that it is absolutely necessary to be absent. 



GETTING GOOD TEACHERS 135 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Are there enough teachers in your Sunday-school, 
and are they trained? Who is responsible? Visit a Sunday-school 
that has given no attention to the training of teachers, and then 
another that has trained teachers. Compare the two schools. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Show how it is possible for every Sunday- 
school to find good teachers. (2) Show that it is a part of the 
work of every Sunday-school to train its own teachers. (3) Discuss 
the membership, enrolling, relations, and the time and place of the 
training class. (4) Discuss the text-book, lesson, teacher, practice, 
examinations, diplomas and graduation. (5) Show what is to be done 
with the teacher-training graduates and with the present teachers. 
(6) Discuss discouragements and inaugurations in their relation to 
good teachers. 

3. Referen-ces. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 1; 
Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 25; Athearn, "The 
Church School," chapter 2; McElfresh, "The Training of Sunday 
School Teachers and Officers." 



136 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER V 

BUILDING UP THE SCHOOL 

A Sunday-school, like an army, must be continually recruited 
if it is to win victories, but its recruits must not come from 
other Sunday-schools if it is to fight for King Immanuel. In- 
deed, all the Sunday-schools of a community should be allies. 
With mutual understanding and some sort of cooperation, it is 
possible to enlist every man, woman, and child in the Sunday- 
school. 

1. Membership Campaigns. A membership revival is as 
legitimate, and sometimes as necessary, as any other sort of 
revival. There are various plans that have been used with 
success. Among these are contests, canvasses, and conferences. 
(1) Contests. Many objections have been offered to member- 
ship contests, and frequently there has been occasion for criti- 
cism, but, with reasonable care, most of the dangers may be 
avoided. The contest for increase of membership may be be- 
tween the two halves of the school, between the two halves of a 
department, between two departments in the same school, be- 
tween two classes in the same school, or between the school and 
another school in the same community or elsewhere. A few sug- 
gestions are offered with regard to contests, as follows : Discuss 
the matter first in the officers' conference, and then in the de- 
partmental and school conferences, and, do not proceed until 
there is practical unanimity; let the two sides, before a start 
is made, agree on detailed rules governing the contest; set a 
definite time for the closing of the contest, and do not let it 
continue longer than six weeks or two months; exercise the 
greatest possible care in the counting, and have a committee 
on arbitration consisting of one from each side and a third 
disinterested party, probably the general secretary; take ac- 
count of attendance, regularity, and punctuality of those who 
are already members as well as of new members; plan, as far 
as possible, to keep the contest from interfering with the regu- 
lar work; absolutely prohibit proselyting from other schools; 
get the contestants to smile at one another; let each side have 
a leader and hold meetings and make plans; plan beforehand to 



BUILDING UP THE SCHOOL 137 

properly place and care for the new members; follow up the 
campaign with vigorous, systematic, regular work, that the re- 
action which is sure to follow may be minimized as far as pos- 
sible; and do not have any contest at all if you are already 
enjoying a healthy growth. (2) Canvasses. Much has been 
gained through house-to-house canvasses wherein a complete 
Sunday-school census is taken of the whole community, in order 
to get at the existing facts. This may be conducted by one 
Sunday-school, but it is beter if all the Sunday-schools of the 
community can cooperate, as the returns will be more complete 
and the results more satisfactory. The canvass may be prefer- 
ably conducted under the auspices of the International Sunday 
School Association. The canvass, after thorough organization, 
usually is made in one day. It may be followed by a contest of 
some sort, but preferably by quiet, persistent effort to enroll all 
non-members who have been discovered. A canvass is good 
Sunday-school advertising, and is promotive of effort in behalf 
of new members. It reveals the need and blazes the way. (3) 
Conferences. Sometimes a Sunday-school will hold eight days 
of conferences, with or without a specialist. One day is devoted 
to each department. The first day may be cradle roll day, the 
second, beginners' day, and so on until each of the eight depart- 
ments has had its turn. Each department makes organized 
effort to have present all its members and also as many visitors 
as possible. An attractive program is arranged, and the best 
speakers and musicians available are obtained. Such a series of 
meetings is in the nature of a campaign by departments. It 
will attract attention and pupils. Sometimes these conferences 
are held in the fall in connection with rally day. 

2. Other Methods. The best method of getting members 
into Sunday-school, and, what is more important, of holding 
them there, is the most difficult of all the methods, and that 
is to give them something valuable while they are there. This 
means that, in building up a Sunday-school, we must build a 
good one. A genuinely good Sunday-school is one of the most 
attractive things in the world, particularly where due attention 
is given to the social life. It involves everything discussed in 
this book, and more. It is something that is not attained in a 
day, a week, or a month. It cannot be done in a hurry, but it 
can be done anywhere. It means that the school must be having 
a contest with itself all the while, setting a goal for itself, and, 
when that is attained, setting a still higher one. It is not suf- 



138 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

ficient, however, to have a good Sunday-school. It is necessary 
to let the members and everybody else in the community know 
what is going on. Let us consider, then, a little more fully good 
teaching, good fellowship, and good advertising as necessary in 
the building up of a Sunday-school. (1) Good teaching. It is 
the business of a Sunday-school to be a real school, where there 
is good teaching. This has attractive and holding power. And, 
if there is to be good teaching in a good Sunday-school, there 
must be good religion, teachers, organization, management, in- 
deed all the things advocated in this book. In saying this, there 
is no intention of discouraging anyone, but there is rather the 
purpose to help workers to see that the best way, after all, to 
build up a Sunday-school is not to aim directly at that, but to 
bring every ounce of interest and training and effort to bear 
upon the helping of the pupils in real teaching. Here is the 
point of attack. (2) Good fellowship. Much intelligent atten- 
tion should be given to the development of a wholesome social 
life, that membership in the Sunday-school may be more worth 
while and that the pupils may be thus trained for efficient social 
living. There should be numerous class, departmental, and 
school socials and entertainments of various kinds, and hand- 
shaking should be encouraged. Effort should be made to develop 
a school interest, pride, spirit, esprit de corps. (3) Good ad- 
vertising. Some of the ways of attracting attention and magni- 
fying the school in the thinking of the pupils and others may be 
indicated as follows: a. Announcements. These may be given 
out verbally from the superintendent's desk and the pulpit, or 
they may be written upon the bulletin board or blackboard. 
b. Bulletin. This is a little local Sunday-school paper, contain- 
ing brief accounts of what has occurred in connection with the 
school and attractive references to coming events. The cost 
may be borne by the school, or by advertisements of local busi- 
ness concerns. Sometimes an organized class becomes responsi- 
ble for the bulletin, c. Placards. There may be placards or 
blackboards kept in front of the church building, announcing 
to those who pass by items of interest concerning the school. 
If pictures can be added to the words, they will attract more at- 
tention, d. Write-ups. The denominational papers, and most 
local papers, are glad to print items concerning the school if they 
have real news value, particularly if there is someone connected 
therewith who has had some journalistic training and who will 
prepare accounts of special events in newspaper form. These 



BUILDING UP THE SCHOOL 139 

write-ups of picnics, banquets, contests and other events give 
the impression that something worth while is going on in con- 
nection with that school. They indicate life, and that is always 
attractive, e. Newspaper space. One school occasionally would 
run a full-page advertisement in the daily newspaper. They 
paid for it by including with their own advertising matter, a 
number of advertisements of business firms which they had 
themselves solicited. Another school pays, out of its treasury, 
for five inches of space every Saturday in one of the daily 
papers. When the daily paper has this patronage, it will be 
more ready to print news items without charge. /. Unusual 
events. Some Sunday-schools are always on the lookout for an 
opportunity to do something a little out of the usual, and that 
always attracts attention, frequently getting them into the 
papers, g. Personal invitation. Some classes send these out to 
their own members occasionally, particularly when there is to be 
something special on the following Sunday. Other schools see 
that the guests at hotels get invitations to attend Sunday-school 
and church. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Missionary J. W. Lowe: "We built up a Sunday- 
school in China with more than two hundred students within a few 
months, starting with one boy, through personal, persistent effort. 
The one found another, and the two brought two more, and so on. 
Sometimes a boy would come dressed only in a red string tied to his 
hair, so we made it a rule that no one would be admitted to the 
Sunday-school unless he was dressed in pants and coat, or at least 
one of these garments. A boy who had both coat and pants found 
a new pupil who had only a red string, and he took off his coat and 
gave it to the other. So the two came to Sunday-school together, one 
wearing the pants and the other the coat." Is it easier to build up a 
good Sunday-school in our country than in China? Why? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Say what you can about the use of contests 
in bringing new members into the Sunday-school. (2) Indicate the 
value of house-to-house canvasses. (3) Show how a week of confer- 
ences may help to increase attendance. (4) Show how good teaching 
builds up the school. (5) Indicate some good ways of advertising the 
Sunday-school. 

3. References. Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher," chapter 19; 
Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 16. See references 
in chapter one of this part. 



140 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VI 

RECORDS AND FINANCES 

The matter of records and finances is far more important 
than the amount and kind of attention given them in the aver- 
age Sunday-school would indicate. If the Sunday-school is to 
be an educational institution, it must be also a business concern, 
and it cannot be that unless proper attention is given to records 
and finances. 

1. The Secretary's Duties. The secretary must be accurate, 
painstaking, and faithful. The more training and the more 
experience he has, the better. No young, inexperienced person 
should be asked to serve in this capacity. The departmental 
secretaries are assistants to the general secretary. It is the 
duty of each departmental secretary to attend to all the secre- 
tarial work in his own department. It is his duty to distribute 
and collect class-books or cards; to make out the report for the 
department; to furnish reports to pupils or parents, to depart- 
mental superintendent, and to general superintendent; to dis- 
tribute the supplies; and to attend to correspondence. With 
reference to the work of the general secretary, the following 
suggestions are offered: (1) He should see that the school 
has a good system of records, and that it works the system. He 
is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the records. 
(2) He should see that the class-books or cards reach the classes 
in the various departments promptly, and that they are col- 
lected without interfering with the teaching. All the secre- 
tarial work should be done quietly and expeditiously. There 
should be a separate secretary's room, with a roll-top desk and 
a cabinet for supplies, for the general secretary, and, in a large 
school, a room also for each departmental secretary. At least 
there may be a quiet corner, where the secretary and treasurer 
can work behind a screen, without interfering with the work of 
others. (3) He should see that permanent records of all pupils 
are kept. This permanent record should include name, address, 
age of younger pupils, date of entrance, class record, promotions 
and graduations, church membership, and discharge through 
removal or death. (4) He should see that there is kept a com- 



RECORDS AND FINANCES 141 

plete historical record of the whole school. This will include 
statistics, new plans, notable events, programs of special days, 
and other items of value. This record may be kept in the form 
of a loose-leaf scrap-book, and may be filed away as an annual 
volume. (5) He should see that reports are made to the school, 
to the church, to the superintendent, to the pastor, to news- 
papers, and to outside organizations, both denominational and 
interdenominational. (6) He should see that prompt attention 
is given to the schooVs correspondence, answering inquiries, get- 
ting information from other schools, and ordering, caring for 
and distributing all the school's supplies. (7) He should see 
that absentees are looked after and brought back, through de- 
partmental or class secretary and through committees. Some- 
times the school has a secretary of absentees. (8) He should 
see that new pupils are properly enrolled and classified, in ac- 
cordance with principles adopted by the school, and that record 
is kept of all removals from class to class and from department 
to department. There should be enrolment cards with the 
printed words department, class, name, address, telephone, age 
and birthday, day-school grade, member of what church, brought 
by, old or new member, date, with blanks to be filled in. The 
information thus obtained becomes the basis of classification. 
After the pupil has been assigned to the proper department and 
class, the card is kept on file. Sometimes this work of enrol- 
ment and classification is done by a special enrolment secretary 
and assistants, instead of by the general secretary and assist- 
ants. 

2. Record Systems and Reports. If the school is large, it 
may have its own record-blanks printed; but, if it is small, it 
may buy them already printed, or may make them by hand. 
(1) Value of good records. They are educational. They be- 
come a part of the teaching itself. They teach order, accuracy, 
thoroughness. They magnify the work of the school in the 
thinking of its members. They constitute a basis for promo- 
tions and graduations, and for intelligent comparisons in esti- 
mates of progress. They make possible reliable denominational 
and interdenominational statistics. These are lamentably in- 
adequate at the present time, for the reason that there is not, 
in the average Sunday-school, an appreciation of the value of 
good records. (2) A good system of records. There are many 
systems of records on the market, samples of which may be had 
from the Sunday-school supply houses. The card systems are 



142 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

coming to be preferred to the book systems, as being more 
modern and business-like. It is doubtful whether any one sys- 
tem can be made to fit all the departments in the school. There 
needs to be grading here, as with lessons and programs. No 
one plan can be made to work successfully through all the de- 
partments. Take, for instance, the bringing of Bibles., It 
might be well to take this into account in the junior's record, 
but it would be absurd to expect a beginner to bring his Bible. 
Probably the junior's record should take account of the largest 
number of items. In every department, account should be 
taken of more than mere attendance. To know whether or not 
the pupil was present has some value, but such a record is very 
inadequate. (3) Making the reports. The general secretary 
should render quarterly and annual reports at the school con- 
ference, a monthly report at the officers' conference, a weekly 
report for the Sunday-school or church bulletin, and occasional 
reports to newspapers and to denominational and interdenomi- 
national organizations. There should be a report every Sunday 
in each of the departments. In presenting this report, the sec- 
retary should change his method from time to time, if he would 
command attention and awaken interest. Sometimes the report 
may be read, and, if so, it should be read distinctly and rapidly. 
Usually it will be better to have the report on a blackboard, 
where all can see it, and to call attention to certain items occa- 
sionally. Once in awhile, he can have the reports made by the 
classes themselves. Always, the report should be brief. At 
times, it should tell how many are not present, and how many 
were late, etc., giving the negative side as well as the positive. 
From time to time, the report should compare the record of the 
day with the record of the Sunday before and of the year be- 
fore, effort being made to keep the school running a race with 
itself. 

3. Work of the Treasurer. The work of the general treas- 
urer is educational, and is of vital importance. (1) The treas- 
urer's qualifications. The treasurer should be quick and ac- 
curate at figures, and not too young. There may be available 
a man or woman who could not serve as teacher or superintend- 
ent, but who knows how to handle money and tc get people to 
give money. The treasurer's chief duty is to develop the spirit 
of benevolence in the members of the school and to train in right 
habits of giving. (2) Accounts and reports. The treasurer 
should receive and pay out, count and account for, the school's 



RECORDS AND FINANCES 143 

money. He should keep clear, accurate accounts, always taking 
receipts for money paid out. He should keep the funds on de- 
posit in a bank in the name of the Sunday-school, separate from 
his own personal account. At the end of the year his books 
should be examined by an auditing committee appointed by the 
general superintendent, and this committee should report their 
findings to the school. The treasurer should make reports at 
the quarterly and annual school conferences, at the monthly 
officers* conference, and should see that a weekly report is 
made in each department. (3) Training in giving. Consider 
the following: a. Importance. Pupils that are not trained to give, 
and in the right way, in the Sunday-school, will become religious 
paupers. Right training will increase the gifts and at the 
same time develop the pupils, b. Motive. The giving of the 
pupils should be a joy and a privilege. Their giving should 
be an expression of interest and appreciation, c. Objects. The 
giving should not be simply for the buying of lesson supplies, 
but to the church, to local missions, to home and foreign mis- 
sions, and to the poor, the orphans and the other unfortunates. 
It is considered by some to be advisable for all the expenses of 
the Sunday-school to be paid out of the general church budget. 
d. System,. The financial system of the Sunday-school should 
be such that there will be no occasion for many "special offer- 
ings." A budget should be arranged at the beginning of the 
year, and it should include expenses for the picnics, books, and 
Christmas entertainment, as well as for supplies. Beware of 
the unaccredited traveling brother that wants to present his 
cause. However, it is good education to make an extra offering 
occasionally to some worthy object, e. Amounts. The em- 
phasis should not be placed upon the amount, but upon the pro- 
portion. One cent is as much for one pupil as a quarter is for 
another, and he should have the same credit. Record should 
not be made of the amount given by the pupil, but of the fact 
of his giving or not giving. The class with the best financial 
record is the one in which every member gave some amount, and 
in accordance with his ability. To make the class with the 
largest offering the "banner class," is unfair and demoralizing. 
/. Proxies. Children should not act as proxies for their parents. 
Pupils should be taught to give in fact, of their own money. 
Sunday-school workers should cooperate with parents in train- 
ing the pupils to give from an allowance or from money actual- 
ly earned, g. Reverence. Pupils should be trained to give rev- 



144 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

erently. All joking in connection with giving should be avoided, 
and it should be regarded seriously, as an act of worship. Some- 
times there should be prayer in connection with the giving. The 
Bible teaching on giving should be presented from time to time, 
in connection with the lessons. "The careful record of giving, 
the intelligence as to the objects of giving and the practice of 
giving their own, all contribute toward reverence in the act." 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Some juniors were having 1 a discussion with re- 
gard to what became of the money they gave to the Sunday-school. 
One of them said, "It goes for mission work in China." Another said, 
"No, it doesn't, either, it goes to buy pretty things for orphans." A 
third said, "You are both off, didn't you hear Mr. Norton say that 
we ought to give more money, so he could pay for the quarterlies?" 
Some junior girls in the same school were talking, and one of them 
said, "Doesn't our teacher wear a pretty hat?" And another said, 
"Of course, don't we give her our money every Sunday?" What was 
the matter with the financial policy of that school? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) What are the duties of the departmental sec- 
retary? (2) Discuss the duties of the general secretary. (3) Indi- 
cate the value of good records. (4) Indicate the characteristics of a 
good system of records. (5) Give suggestions as to secretarial reports. 
(6) Discuss the qualifications of the general treasurer, and the nature 
of his work. (7) Discuss training in giving in the Sunday-school. 

3. References. Cope, "The Modern Sunday School," chapter 16; 
Lawrance, "How to Conduct a Sunday School," chapter 13. See other 
references in chapter one in this part. 



SPECIAL DAYS AND OCCASIONS 145 



CHAPTER VII 

SPECIAL DAYS AND OCCASIONS 

Special days and occasions attract new members, develop 
loyalty, promote enthusiasm, satisfy the social instincts, and 
magnify the school in the thinking of the community. They ad- 
vertise the Sunday-school, and are in themselves educational. 
They should have an important place in every Sunday-school, 
and the most careful preparation should be made for them. The 
general plans should be made in the officers' conference, and the 
details should be worked out in the departmental conferences. 

1. Promotion Day. The Sunday-school that is doing good edu- 
cational work must have an annual promotion day, when it pro- 
motes pupils from one grade to the next in each department, 
giving them promotion certificates, and, when it graduates pu- 
pils from one department into the next, with diplomas. (1) 
Time, Promotion day usually is the last Sunday in September, 
as this is the last Sunday in the graded lesson year, and some- 
times this Sunday also is rally day, the promotion exercises be- 
ing a part of the rally program. (2) Value. The diplomas and 
certificates may be had of the supply houses, for a small sum, 
and they are worth far more than any expensive prizes, but- 
tons, crosses, crowns, and other such harmful devices so fre- 
quently used by those who are deficient in proper educational 
training. A promotion day rightly conducted tones up the 
whole school, magnifies its work, and insures better work dur- 
ing the following year. It is just as important as any high 
school graduation day, and even more important. (3) Method. 
The promotions should be by departments. Imagine yourself 
in a beginners' department on promotion day. The members of 
the cradle roll class become the first grade beginners, each child 
receiving a graduation card. And the first grade beginners 
become the second grade beginners, each child receiving a pro- 
motion certificate. As those in each grade receive their di- 
plomas or certificates, they stand together in front, during a 
simple service, consisting of a few appropriate words by the 
superintendent, a song, and a prayer. A similar service is 
held as the second grade beginners receive their diplomas, and 



146 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

they are at once taken by their new teacher who is present to 
receive them, into the primary department, to become the first 
grade primary pupils. Follow them into the primary depart- 
ment and see them, after marching to the front, welcomed with 
an appropriate department song. This closes the promotion ser- 
vices in the primary department, for they have been doing their 
promoting at the same time and in much the same way as the 
beginners ' department and the other departments. The first 
grade pupils have become second grade, and the second grade 
have become third grade, all receiving promotion cards, while 
the third grade pupils have been graduated, with diplomas, into 
the junior department. There have been appropriate songs and 
prayers, with a few tender words by the superintendent. All 
has been done quietly and in beautiful order. As the new mem- 
bers come in from the beginners' department, the graduating 
class of the primary department marches out, and into the 
junior department, where the promotion services have been 
proceeding as in the primary department. And so in the other 
departments. All has been accomplished in fifteen or twenty 
minutes, and in beautiful order, amid impressive quiet. The 
teachers are not promoted, each staying in the same grade 
and receiving a new class. The promotion services have been 
preceded by the usual lesson period, which has been a little short- 
ened. Where there are not separate assembly-rooms, the pro- 
motions will proceed nevertheless by departments, in the way 
above indicated, except that the graduates cannot pass from 
one room to another. 

2. Rally Day. This is an occasion when special effort is 
made to have present the entire enrolment of the school, and 
also a number of visitors. Usually rally day comes in the 
fall, about the middle of October or a little later. Sometimes 
the rally day services are held in connection with those of pro- 
motion day, but the results will be better if they are separate, 
and held a few weeks later. Rally day should not be a mere 
coming together after the summer vacation, but should be a 
means of quickening the school life and inaugurating a vigor- 
ous forward movement. The rally programs should be graded 
and conducted departmentally. Where this is done, and there 
are separate assembly-rooms, there will be left time for the 
lesson period. The following suggestions may be offered: (1) 
Spend several weeks beforehand in intelligent preparation. (2) 



SPECIAL DAYS AND OCCASIONS 147 

Let there be full discussion in the officers' conference and in 
the departmental conferences. (3) Advertise extensively, and 
send personal invitations to the members, through the secretaries. 
(4) Have the assembly-rooms tastefully decorated with autumn 
foliage, by a committee appointed for the purpose. (5) A fea- 
ture of the decorations might be a shock of corn, a pile of 
pumpkins, or a string of corn ears. (6) Present brief, attrac- 
tive reports of the work of the previous year, and plans and 
goals for the coming year. (7) The program may include 
music, prayer, talk, marches. (8) Have a talk by a Sunday- 
school specialist, if possible. (9) Try to have something new 
and particularly attractive in the program every year. (10) 
If the school is small, and there is only one assembly-room, 
make the program so suggestive and inspirational that it will 
help to procure a better building and equipment. 

3. Other Days. There cannot be too many special days if 
they meet a real need and actually help. Some of the other 
days commonly observed are the following: (1) Christmas day. 
In arranging the program, keep in mind the following: a. Begin 
to get ready at least a month beforehand, b. Let each depart- 
ment have its own graded program if possible, c. A Santa Claus 
is noisy, and has no teaching value in any of the departments 
above the primary, d. There may be a Christmas tree, and 
also a Santa Claus if there are gifts to hand out, in the be- 
ginners' and primary departments, e. Cheap candy cheapens 
the Sunday-school in the thinking of the pupils, and besides 
is dangerous. /. Good, pure candy may be given to pupils in 
the beginners, primary, and junior departments, particularly 
if there are many poor children among them. g. If something 
must be given to the pupils, there is, besides candy, also fruit, 
pictures, books, cut flowers, potted plants, and toys from which 
to choose. In. The Christmas program is a failure unless it 
teaches the true Christmas spirit, the spirit of giving, and 
this can be done only by having the pupils to do some giving. 
i. The pupils may give money, baskets of food, canned goods, 
vegetables, flour, toys, and the like to orphanages, hospitals, 
prisons, salvation army, helping-hand institutes, or to the poor 
of the congregation and community. ;. Among the program 
possibilities are songs, readings by pupils, stories by a trained 
story-teller, stereopticon pictures, cantatas, and acted stories, 
according to the needs and facilities, k. It is a serious mistake 



148 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

to intimate, publicly or privately, that anybody is coming to 
Sunday-school for what they can get out of Christmas day, be- 
cause it is not true probably, and you ought not to object if it 
were true. (2) Children's day. This is another day that has 
teaching value. The teaching is done through program and con- 
tribution. It is in the nature of a missionary day, when Sun- 
day-school missions, Bible distribution, or religious education is 
attractively presented in story, song and pictures, and when an 
offering is made by teachers and pupils for the work set forth 
in the program. Children's day is observed usually in the 
spring, frequently the second Sunday in June. It is most ef- 
fectively observed departmentally, and there should be intelli- 
gent preparation through the officers' and departmental con- 
ferences. (3) Thanksgiving day. This is an occasion for teach- 
ing thankfulness, through program and giving, and need not 
interfere seriously with the lesson period. (4) Mothers' day. 
This is observed on the second Sunday in May. It magnifies 
Christian motherhood. A carnation is given to each pupil, and 
a part of the program is a poem, a song, or a talk about mother. 
The lesson period is not interrupted. (5) Easter is suitably 
observed in many Sunday-schools. (6) Field day. Field day, or 
picnic day, usually comes in the spring or summer, between 
Sundays. It advertises the school, promotes acquaintance, and 
furnishes wholesome recreation. There should be a carefully 
planned program, including games, songs, speeches and eating. 
(7) Decision day. See chapter ten in part two. 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. (1) "The awarding- of diplomas and honors must 
not be confused with the giving- of prizes, nor is it meant that it is 
unwise for a school to provide entertainments and other meeting-s 
and times of social enjoyment for its pupils; all these things must, 
however, be evidently the natural outgrowth of the social life of the 
school, and the desire to provide for its interest, and intellectual im- 
provement, and not at all measures taken to induce attendance. But 
diplomas and honors are simply the certificates awarded for g-ood work 
presented on attaining certain definite standings; they have no in- 
trinsic value; they are within the reach of every one. Care should 
be taken so to award them that they do not even remind one of 
prizes, but that they act as incentives to all to do good work and 
stand for the facts that the school recognizes such work, and that it 
is conducted on business principles." (H. F. Cope) (2) "The social 
instincts demand satisfaction. Young people love a good time and 
delight in the company of one another. The Sunday-school ought to 



SPECIAL DAYS AND OCCASIONS 149 

meet this natural human craving:. It should make the church a so- 
cial center. It should provide a wholesome social environment." (L. 
A. Weigle.) 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss promotion day in the Sunday-school. 
(2) Give at least seven suggestions with reference to rally day. (3) 
Give suggestions relative to the observance of Christmas in the Sun- 
day-school. (4) Discuss children's day and other days and occasions. 
(5) Which of these days has the greatest teaching value? Why? 

3. References. Lawrance, "How to Conduct a Sunday School," 
chapters 14, 15, 16, 19, 20. See also the departmental references in 
part one of this book. 



150 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VIII 

MISSIONS IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

The best place to teach missions is in the Sunday-school. 
Here is where the missionary problem must be solved. Some 
suggestions are offered. 

1. Teaching from the Platform. One way to teach missions 
in the Sunday-school is to present information from the plat- 
form. This may be done in the department or in the school as 
a whole, by the superintendent, pastor, or someone else who is 
qualified to do it well. Missionary facts may be presented in 
the form of interesting stories or map drills. Curios, charts, 
pictures and stereopticon will help to make missionary facts 
interesting, clear and impressive. An excellent book prepared 
especially for use in teaching missions from the platform is 
Trull's "Five Missionary Minutes," price fifty cents, for sale by 
the denominational publishing house. Sometimes the teaching 
of missions from the platform is done through the pupils them- 
selves, a brief, interesting missionary program being prepared, 
with speaking, songs and drills. Excellent suggestions for this 
purpose are found in "The Missionary Speaker," "Missionary 
Programs, Number One/' and "Missionary Programs, Number 
Two," published by the Young People's Missionary Movement 
and obtainable from the denominational publishing house. 
Occasionally it may be possible to have present a missionary. 

2. Supplemental Missionary Lessons. Missions may be 
taught in the Sunday-school, in addition to the regular lessons, 
in graded supplemental lessons, provided by the denominational 
publishing house, which will send samples on application. For 
the beginners, there are missionary pictures and stories; for 
the primaries, there are stories of the children of mission fields ; 
for the juniors, there are stories of missionary heroes and hero- 
ines; for the intermediates, there are stories of the nations and 
their needs; and for the seniors, there are missionary history 
and plans. In some schools, a brief course in missions is sub- 
stituted for the regular lessons for a few weeks or a few months. 
In the organized adult class, there is used as a text some such 
book as "The Uplift of China," "The Redemption of the City," 



MISSIONS IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 151 

or "Mormonism: the Islam of America." In the intermediate 
class, some such text-book as "Uganda's White Man of Work" 
or "Best Things in America" is used. 

3. In Connection with Regular Lessons. The Bible contains 
the principles of missions, and, when the lesson has in it a mis- 
sionary teaching, it should be illustrated and applied. There 
are many lessons which are missionary. Frequently, also, 
teaching that is not directly missionary may be made effective 
by the use of missionary illustrations — a story, a fact, some 
figures, an item of news, a picture, a curio. Any number of 
these missionary illustrations may be found in the missionary 
magazines, the denominational journals and the Sunday-school 
lesson helps, if only the teacher is looking for them. In some 
junior departments, the pupils have special missionary scrap- 
books, for missionary pictures and biographies. In a number 
of good schools, where stereoscopes are used, there are mis- 
sionary stereographs, especially in the junior and intermediate 
departments. Sometimes the regular Sunday-school program, 
or order of service for the day, may be missionary. In that 
case the order might be somewhat as follows: (1) Doxology, 
invocation, missionary hymn, and Lord's Prayer; (2) A map 
drill showing the location of the missions of the denomination, 
or a letter from a missionary, or recent items from the field, 
or brief incident from a recent missionary book; (3) Two brief 
prayers for missions; (4) Announcements and showing of 
Bibles; (5) Marking of records, offering, and class instruction 
for thirty-five minutes; (6) Closing service, with a missionary 
hymn and prayer for missions. 

4. Doing Mission Work. Missionary teaching should be 
made as practical as possible. This may be done in various 
ways. There should be gifts to missions. All the pupils should 
contribute to missions. There should be a mission day in the 
Sunday-school at least once a month, when all the offerings go 
to missions. The school, the department or the class may sup- 
port a missionary or a helper, may prepare and send missionary 
boxes, may support or conduct a mission Sunday-school, or may 
engage in some other kind of mission work. The bringing in 
of new pupils into the Sunday-school is one kind of mission 
work. Some of the pupils ought to give themselves definitely 
to foreign or home mission service. It is important that the 
pupils be led in giving and doing for missions, not only because 



152 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

of the good they are doing immediately, but for the sake of 
their religious education, for the best good of the pupils them- 
selves. When missionary interest is aroused it should be 
expressed in some direct and tangible way. 

5. Missionary Library and Museum. Every Sunday-school 
should have a missionary museum containing pictures, curios, 
native costumes, maps, and models of houses, implements, 
weapons, etc. These may be obtained, at a nominal cost, from 
the various missionary boards. A good up-to-date missionary 
library also is a necessity if the best work is to be done in the 
Sunday-school. The money may be taken from the treasury, 
or may be raised by personal solicitation or at a book social. 
These books should be shown and described from time to time, 
in a way to awaken interest and to cause the pupils to want 
to read them. In buying the books, they should be chosen with 
reference to the needs of the pupils in the various grades of 
the school, provision being made for primary, junior, inter- 
mediate, senior and adult pupils; and care must be exer- 
cised that the right books get into the hands of the right pupils. 
Sometimes the teacher may require pupils to read certain chap- 
ters in the books and to report in the class. There should be 
eight general classes of missionary books in the library, as 
follows: (1) Books of methods, such as Trull's "Missionary 
Methods for Sunday School Workers" and Brain's "Fuel for 
Missionary Fires;" (2) Books of reference, such as D wight's 
"The Encyclopedia of Missions" and "The Blue Book of Foreign 
Missions;" (3) Books of history, such as Leonard's "A Hun- 
dred Years of Missions" and Barnes' "Two Thousand Years of 
Missions before Carey;" (4) Books of travel and adventure, 
such as Stanley's "In Darkest Africa" and Landor's "In the 
Forbidden Land;" (5) Books of description, such as Gale's 
"Korean Sketches" and Smith's "Chinese Characteristics;" (6) 
Books of biography, such as Lambert's "The Romance of Mis- 
sionary Heroism" and Gracey's "Eminent Missionary Women;" 
(7) Books of fiction, such as Eyster's "The Chinese Quaker" 
and Mason's "The Little Green God;" (8) Selected libraries, 
such as those published by The Students' Volunteer Movement 
and by The Young People's Missionary Movement and sold by 
the denominational publishing houses. In buying books to 
meet the needs of the various grades, selection will need to be 
made as follows: (1) For primaries, such books as Batty's 
"The Great Big World or a Missionary Walk in the Zoo;" (2) 



MISSIONS IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 153 

For juniors, such books as CroweH's "Coming Americans" and 
Grinnell's "Jack Among the Indians;" (3) For intermediates, 
such books as Banks' "Heroes of the South Seas" and Guern- 
sey's "Citizens of Tomorrow;" (4) For seniors, such books as 
Bacon's "Japanese Girls and Women" and Riis' "How the Other 
Half Lives." 

6. Missions and the Graded Lessons. The graded lessons 
include missionary lessons. They are there as a part of the 
course. They are in the curriculum. This is as it should be. 
The very fact that these lessons are placed upon a par with 
other lessons will mean much for missions. That in itself is 
good missionary teaching. It magnifies missions. It does not 
leave missions to be added, to be crowded in somewhere, to be 
taken or let alone. A generation brought up on the graded 
lessons in a well-organized Sunday-school, with trained teach- 
ers, will be a generation of missionaries — some of them mis- 
sionaries on the foreign field, some of them missionaries on the 
home field, and the others missionaries at home. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. (1) In a conference on missions, a leader in a 
woman's missionary society asked, "How are we going- to get the men 
interested in these missionary studies?" Various answers were given, 
and finally a Sunday-school specialist said: "The way to get men 
interested in missions is to get them interested before they get to be 
men, in the Sunday-school, as a constituent part of their training 
there. You are beginning at least twenty years too late with these 
men. A twelve-year-old boy who has been trained in a good Sunday- 
school, using the graded lessons, knows more of missions now than 
the average man knows, or ever will know." (2) Aside from the 
benefit to missions, the Sunday-school should teach missions for its 
own sake. Cope says: "It will make all the difference to our schools 
whether we think of them as little circles to be fed, ministered to, 
polished and perfected for their own sakes, or as centers from which 
life and life-giving power must radiate into all lives and into all 
places. The centrifugal school lives more and more, the centripetal 
dies daily." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) How may missions be taught from the plat- 
form in the Sunday-school? Illustrate. (2) What is meant by sup- 
plementary mission lessons? Can you give an illustration of their 
use? (3) How teach missions in connection with the regular lessons? 
(4) How teach missions by doing missions? (5) Describe a mission- 
ary museum, preferably one you have seen. (6) Name eight general 
classes of books suitable for a missionary library in the Sunday- school. 
(7) Discuss missions and the graded lessons. 

3. References. Trull, "Missionary Methods for Sunday School 
Workers;" Hixson, "Missions in the Sunday School." See also the 
departmental references. 



154 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER IX 

SUNDAY SCHOOL BUILDINGS 

For more than six years, I have been saying that the next 
great forward step in Sunday-school work must be a building 
step, and that the so-called "Akron plan," or any of its modifi- 
cations, is out of date and wholly unsuited to the needs of the 
modern departmental Sunday-school, which needs a complete 
assembly-room for each of its departments, with a group of 
classrooms adjacent, one for each class. 

1. The Fundamental Principle. The fundamental principle 
that should guide in building for the Sunday-school, may be 
indicated in one word, and that is separateness. The essential 
need is a separate place of meeting for each department, where 
it can do its work without interference from the other depart- 
ments. This means that there must be a number of rooms 
that really separate. It means that all separating curtains and 
movable partitions must be eliminated, for the reason that they 
do not separate. The walls of both the assembly-rooms and 
the classrooms must be permanent and sound-proof, and the 
doors must be solid, hinged, and close-fitting in rabbets. In 
"The Sunday School Teacher's School," published in March, 
1909, I said: "If each department of the school is to have its 
own separate opening and closing exercises, then it must be 
separated by solid, sound-proof walls with heavy double doors, 
if there are doors between at all. It is folly to have a pro- 
gram in one department and a different program at the same 
time in another department with only a thin partition between. 
Better have all the departments together than to have them so, 
for there must be quiet if the program is to be effective." This 
was the first appearance in print, so far as I have seen, of a 
plea for the abolition of the movable partitions that charac- 
terize the "Akron plan." In "The Sunday School Building and 
Its Equipment," published in November, 1914, Dr. Herbert 
Francis Evans, professor of religious education in Grinnell 
College, speaking of the beginners, primary, and junior depart- 
ments, says: "It is clear that absolutely separate rooms must 
be provided for the first three departments. The method of 



SUNDAY SCHOOL BUILDINGS 155 

combining these departments into a large assembly-room by 
the use of temporary partitions of any kind must be abandoned, 
and perfect freedom from disturbance by those near by must 
be accorded each of these departments." Prof. Evans here 
suggests the principle of separateness, but fails altogether to 
show practically how it may be secured, since his "cuts" and 
descriptions are illustrative of the "Kramer plans," the "Cedar 
Rapids plan," and other plans of the same general type, all of 
which are but adaptations or complications of the old "Akron 
plan," embodying numerous movable partitions. 

2. Assembly-Rooms and Classrooms. The building that em- 
bodies the principle of separateness will provide permanent- 
partition, hinged-door classrooms, which can be furnished 
and equipped so as to afford a home-like appearance and an 
educational atmosphere, and also, for each department, a com- 
plete assembly-room, where there may be conducted an orderly, 
graded program, and where there may be developed a depart- 
mental spirit and enthusiasm. It follows, then, that these 
rooms must be so constructed that they will really separate the 
singing and other sounds of one department from all the other 
departments, and that, therefore, any partitions which fold, 
lift, roll, or slide, are unsuitable, for the following reasons: 
(1) They are unsightly. They do not fit in with any proper 
architectural scheme, and they make it impossible to suitably 
decorate the walls and to provide that appearance of quiet and 
home-likeness so essential in the promotion of attractiveness 
and solidarity. (2) They are troublesome. They must be 
moved at least twice every Sunday, and sometimes their ma- 
nipulation is quite difficult. Indeed, they are so much trouble 
that frequently they are not manipulated at all, and so are 
worse than nothing. (3) They are inefficient. They shut out 
the sounds only very imperfectly, and make impossible an 
orderly departmental program. (4) They are expensive. They 
cost more than permanent partitions and solid doors, and do 
not last so long. (5) They are anti- educational. They are not 
found in good day-school buildings. They are against good 
preaching as well as good teaching. They spoil the auditorium, 
both as to looks and acoustics. (6) They are unnecessary. 
There is absolutely no reason why they should exist in a modern 
building, for the reason that we can have more room and better 
room for the same money, by adopting one of the plans described 
in this chapter. 



156 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

3. Three Typical Plans. It is possible to secure both assem- 
bly-rooms and classrooms in a building for a Sunday-school of 
any size, at a cost ranging from four thousand dollars to four 
hundred thousand dollars. Three typical plans are here de- 
scribed. The auditorium, in each type of building, may be 
made larger without disarranging the rest of the plan. (1) 
For school of five to seven hundred pupils. The building for 
a school of this size may be designated as type A. It has six 
complete assembly-rooms, and thirty-eight classrooms. The 
main auditorium will seat five or six hundred for the preaching 
service, and also will serve as the assembly-room for the adults. 
Each of the other assembly-rooms will accommodate seventy- 
five to one hundred pupils. In the front and rear of the main 
auditorium are two stories of rooms. On the main floor are 
the beginners and primary assembly and classrooms, in addi- 
tion to the main auditorium and the classrooms for adults. On 
the second floor, are the junior, intermediate, and senior assem- 
bly and classrooms. Some of the rooms may be used also for 
prayer-meetings, young people's societies, missionary societies, 
social gatherings, etc. Underneath all there is a well-lighted 
basement, with kitchen, dining and entertainment rooms, etc. 
There are toilets, coat-rooms, etc. This building may be erected 
at a cost of thirty to forty thousand dollars, according to mater- 
ial, finish and architectural treatment. (2) For school of two 
to three hundred pupils. The building for a school of this size 
may be designated as type B. It has four complete assembly- 
rooms and fourteen classrooms. In the front and rear of the 
main auditorium, are two stories of rooms. The main audi- 
torium, which will seat about five hundred, will be used also 
as the assembly-room for the intermediates, seniors, and adults. 
On the main floor, in the rear, are the assembly-rooms for the 
beginners and primary departments, and three classrooms for 
intermediates. Up-stairs, over these rooms, are the junior 
assembly-room and classrooms, and one room for intermediates. 
In front, on the main floor, and also up-stairs, are classrooms 
for the seniors and adults, and also library-room and pastor's 
study. This building, with basement, may be erected for fifteen 
to twenty-five thousand dollars, according to material, finish 
and architectural treatment. (3) For school of one to two hun- 
dred pupils. The building for a school of this size may be des- 
ignated as type C. It has four assembly-rooms and nine class- 
rooms. The intermediates, seniors, and adults assemble in the 



SUNDAY SCHOOL BUILDINGS 



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SUNDAY SCHOOL BUILDINGS 159 

main auditorium, which will seat about three hundred. On the 
main floor, there are assembly-rooms for the beginners and 
primary departments, and classrooms for intermediates and 
adults. On the second floor, there are assembly-room and class- 
rooms for the juniors, and classrooms for intermediates and 
seniors. Some of the classrooms may be used for prayer-meet- 
ings, missionary meetings, etc. This building may, or may not, 
have a basement, and can be erected for six to twelve thousand 
dollars, according to material, finish, and architectural treat- 
ment. This type of building, on a smaller scale, may be erected 
for as little as four or five thousand dollars. 

4. How to Get a New Building. This new type of building 
usually is possible anywhere. (1) Committee. There needs 
first to be a building committee, and this should be composed 
of the most wide-awake, progressive members, including women, 
and should be representative of all the interests of the church. 
Membership on the committee should be determined, not by 
dollars, but by sense. Put the best brains and religion of the 
church into the proposition, and a way will be found to get the 
money. (2) Plans. In adopting plans, keep in mind the fun- 
damental principle, face the problem seriously, and seek to get 
the building you really need. Do not build a copy of some 
other church simply because the pastor likes it or because you 
are pleased with its appearance. Most of the cost of new 
church buildings erected in recent years, has been a waste of 
the Lord's money. Seek to get the building that will be of the 
largest use to your church, your community, and the world. 
(3) Architect. Employ a competent architect to draw plans 
and to superintend the construction of the building. Be willing 
to pay him the standard price, and do not ask him for a con- 
tribution. The "cheap" architect is dear at any price. More- 
over, there is nothing to be gained by putting architects into 
competition with one another. Employ an architect as you 
would employ a physician or surgeon; find one in whom you 
have confidence, and then put the case into his hands. In the 
end, you will save money, and at the same time will have a 
building that will be right and look right. Most architects are 
wholly incompetent to deal with a building for the modern 
church, and would be expensive even if they furnished plans 
without charge. Ask the average architect to work into a 
building the ideas set forth in this chapter, and he would make 
a "botch" of the whole thing. Find a competent firm of archi- 



160 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

tects, who are specialists in church building and who have 
made an intelligent study of the modern Sunday-school and its 
needs, and they can furnish ideas as well as blue-prints. I can 
heartily recommend J. H. Felt and Company, school and church 
specialists, suite 800 Grand Avenue Temple, Kansas City, Mis- 
souri. Not being an architect, I have had this firm to embody 
my ideas in sets of typical plans to meet the needs of Sunday- 
schools of all sizes and grades, and they are prepared to fur- 
nish plans for new buildings, and for the remodeling of old 
buildings, in accordance with the ideas advanced in this chap- 
ter. Their wide experience with high school and college build- 
ings has given them the school attitude, so necessary in draw- 
ing plans for the modern Sunday-school, and their success with 
church buildings is a guarantee that they will have due regard 
to finish and architectural treatment as well as to practical 
utility. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. "If a church," says Cope, "were fully loyal to its 
avowed faith in the importance of childhood, it would make the child 
central and determinative; it would build the plant for the child-life 
first, and allow adult life to adjust itself to that." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the fundamental principle that should 
guide in building for the Sunday-school. (2) Give the argument 
against movable partitions. (3) Discuss a suitable building for a 
Sunday-school of five to seven hundred pupils. (4) Describe a suit- 
able building for a Sunday-school of two to three hundred pupils. 
(5) Describe a suitable building for a Sunday-school of one to two 
hundred pupils. (6) Discuss the getting of a new building. 

3. References. Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 
10; Smith, "The Sunday School of Today," chapter 2; Evans, "The 
Sunday- School Building and Its Equipment;" Lawrance, "Housing the 
Sunday School;" Moore, "The School House;" Tralle, "Sunday School 
Buildings;" J. H. Felt and Company, "School Buildings of Today." 



SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES 161 



CHAPTER X 

SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES 

It would seem that there is little hope for permanent improve- 
ment in any Sunday-school that does not have, maintain, and 
use a library. Certainly no day-school that is worthy of the 
name would undertake to get along without using a library, and 
the Sunday-school cannot afford to lag behind. 

1. Their Value. There is space for only a few of the things 
that may be said in favor of Sunday-school libraries. (1) In- 
crease attendance. A good, well-managed library will attract 
and hold pupils. It makes the school more interesting and 
more worth while. Not only does it draw in a great number of 
pupils, but it keeps them coming more regularly. (2) Extend 
influence. A library enables the school to extend its influence 
to the relatives and friends of its pupils, who will read the 
books and be helped thereby, and thus come into its benefits 
though they do not attend. (3) Strengthen the teaching. The 
teacher that is not content to be merely "textual" or "factual," 
and who is not satisfied to do all the talking, must be able to 
refer his pupils, above the primary grades, to books in a library 
for illustrative and supplementary material. Then the teacher 
himself must have frequent access to the best books for Sunday- 
school workers if he is to keep mentally alert and spiritually 
enthusiastic, and the school that does not make this possible is 
demanding that he shall make educational bricks without peda- 
gogical straw. The members of the teacher-training class par- 
ticularly will need to have access to good books that will ade- 
quately supplement the text and add to the interest and value 
of the course. 

2. Their Making. The making of a library is a continuous 
process. (1) Size. It is far better to begin with a small library, 
and then add to it from time to time, than to get all the books 
at one time. It will be advisable to get a small number at the 
start, and to add others every month regularly. (2) Selection. 
Books should be selected by a permanent committee, consisting 
of the librarian, the pastor, the general superintendent, and one 
or two other book-lovers, an intelligent woman being one of 



162 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

them. This committee should have always on hand a list of 
books to be bought, made up from lists obtained from book 
houses, from reviews in periodicals, and from competent indi- 
viduals who have given the matter special attention. In select- 
ing books, the committee should consider whether or not the 
book is interesting, wholesome, and suitable. The needs of all 
the members of the school, both teachers and pupils, in all the 
departments, should be considered. (3) Finances. Money for 
the library may be obtained in one or more of the following 
ways: Use five per cent of all the Sunday offerings; have 
a library Sunday, and ask all to bring an offering; let one 
class give a book each Sunday, the classes taking turns; secure 
private subscriptions; get some well-to-do individual to provide 
an endowment; hold a book reception, each one present bring- 
ing a book, lists of books needed being given out beforehand, 
with the understanding that duplicate copies may be exchanged ; 
get each of a number of individuals, through private solicita- 
tion, or publicly, to contribute an amount sufficient to pay 
for one book; see that the church includes the library in its an- 
nual budget. 

3. Their Management. Some suggestions may be offered 
with reference to the management of a library. (1) Librarian. 
The librarian should not be a young, inexperienced person, but 
the most intelligent and best-read individual in the church. 
Sometimes it is possible to secure for this position a public li- 
brarian or a teacher in the day-school. At any rate, the li- 
brarian should be a lover and reader of books, a student of the 
work, good-natured and accommodating, and intelligently pains- 
taking. In a small school, the general secretary may be also 
librarian, and, in a large school, the librarian will need to have 
assistants, who will be the departmental librarians or secre- 
taries, and sometimes also class librarians. Where there is a 
general librarian, as well as general secretary, the two will 
need to work in close cooperation. (2) Location. If possible 
there should be a large, well-lighted library room, located con- 
venient to the largest number. The room should contain, in 
addition to books, a museum of oriental models, missionary 
curios, pupils' scrap-books, with other educational materials, 
and also papers, periodicals, and pictures. Where a room can- 
not be found, a corner may be curtained off for the purpose. 
(3) Use. The library should be open for thirty minutes before, 



SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES 163 

and about as long after, the Sunday-school session, but no books 
should be issued or received during the Sunday-school hour 
or the preaching service. It should be open also during the 
week, at least for a half hour before and after the mid-week 
prayer-meeting, and better every afternoon and evening, par- 
ticularly if it is fitted up also as a reading room. (4) System. 
For a small library, the register system may be used. Accord- 
ing to this system, the record of the drawing of a book is en- 
tered in a book prepared for that purpose. Such books may 
be had of any Sunday-school supply house. (5) Rules. Some 
such rules as the following may be adopted: Only one book 
may be taken at a time; a book may not be kept out longer than 
two weeks; books lost, defaced, or torn, must be replaced or paid 
for; no books will be exchanged at the library on the day they 
are issued; pupils must not exchange books with one another, 
and anyone doing so will lose the privilege of the library for 
four weeks ; a fee of five cents a week will be required for books 
kept out over time. (6) Records and reports. Complete perma- 
nent records of all books, with a history of their use, should be 
kept, and informing reports should be made from time to time. 
(7) Advertising. Provide catalogues, with descriptive notes, and 
call attention to new books in the printed bulletin or on the 
bulletin board. Create an interest in the books through the 
departmental officers and teachers. Pupils should be given 
references to books, should be shown books, should be told about 
interesting things in certain books, and should have stories from 
books read or told to them. (8) Grading. Every library should 
be graded, though all the books may be kept in one room, and 
pupils should be allowed to draw out only such books as are 
suited to their interests and needs. 

4. Their Character. A list of books for both workers and 
pupils is given, as indicative of the kind of books that are suit- 
able for a Sunday-school library. Those for pupils are classi- 
fied by departments, and those for workers are given in the 
order of their probable value for the average school. A. Books 
for workers. (1) Talks with the Training Class, Slattery, .50. 
Simple psychology, with concrete examples, showing how to 
train the memory, the imagination, the reason, the will, etc. (2) 
The Unfolding Life, Lamoreaux, .50. A simple account of 
some of the characteristics of pupils in the various periods 
of their development. (3) The Elementary Worker and His 
Work, Jacobs-Lincoln, .50. Treats of the beginners and pri- 



164 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

mary departments, for both superintendents and teachers, indi- 
cating the characteristics of pupils and giving suggestions rela- 
tive to programs, lessons, and methods of teaching. (4) The 
Junior Worker and His Work, Robinson, .50. Treats simply, 
and from the modern view-point, of the pupils, the equipment, 
the lesson materials, the worship, methods of teaching, special 
days, activities, etc. Valuable both for superintendent and 
teachers. (5) The Intermediate Worker and His Work, Lewis, 
.50. Gives helpful suggestions, for superintendent and teach- 
ers, with reference to organization, equipment, characteristics, 
expressional activities, class organization, and teaching. (6) 
The Senior Worker and His Work, Lewis, .50. Most everything 
that has to do with the organization and teaching of the seniors 
finds helpful treatment in this little book. (7) The Adult 
Worker and His Work, Barclay, .50. Here are sane comments, 
in simple phrase, on class organization, needs, officers, teach- 
ing, and activities. (8) The Girl in Her Teens, Slattery, .50. 
Interesting and particularly valuable for teachers of girls from 
thirteen to nineteen years of age. (9) Church Work with Boys, 
Forbush, .50. Contains chapters on What Church Work with 
Boys Means, The Way of God with a Boy, The Work of Men 
for Boys, How to Teach a Boys' Sunday School Class, etc. For 
teachers of boys thirteen to sixteen years of age. (10) The 
Pupil and the Teacher, Weigle, .50. Here are twenty-one help- 
ful chapters on the psychology and pedagogy of the Sunday- 
school, for teachers of all grades. (11) A Study of Child Na- 
ture, Harrison, 1.00. Principles of child nature, with illustra- 
tive stories. For the teachers and mothers of beginners. (12) 
The Church School, Athearn, 1.00. The modern educational 
view of the Sunday-school, by departments, and is especially 
valuable for its equipment and program suggestions and for 
its lists of songs, pictures, and books. For all teachers and 
superintendents, and the pastor. (13) World Stories Retold, 
Sly, 1.00. Treats of the theory and art of story-telling, and 
contains a fine variety of stories, many of them from the Bible. 
For all teachers. (14) The Point of Contact in Teaching, Du- 
Bois, .75. Helps the teacher into a sympathetic study of the 
child's view-point. (15) The Dawn of Character, Mumford, 
1.20. Treats of the nature and training of the child, with 
many illustrative incidents. For teachers and mothers of be- 
ginners and primary pupils. (16) Efficiency in the Sunday 
School, Cope, 1.00. Sets forth the fundamental principles of 



SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES 165 

the Sunday-school as an educational institution, with but little 
of the concrete. For the pastor and superintendents. (17) The 
Sunday School of Today, Smith, 1.25. Contains some good pic- 
tures and gives concrete suggestions, for the pastor and the 
superintendents. (18) The Home Department of Today, Steb- 
bins, .25. An excellent little volume by a specialist, telling how 
to organize and conduct a good home department. (19) The 
Blackboard Class, Darnell, .25. A series of simple lessons on 
the use of the blackboard in teaching. (20) How to Conduct 
a Sunday School, Lawrance, 1.25. A concrete explanation of 
the success of one great Sunday-school, conducted by the sec- 
retary of the International Sunday School Association. For 
pastor and superintendents. (21) Education in Religion and 
Morals, Coe, 1.35. Treats of the principles of religious educa- 
tion and outlines the characteristics of the life periods of pupils. 
For pastor, superintendents and teachers. (22) The Great 
Teachers of Judaism and Christianity, Kent, .75. Shows the 
important place of the teachers in the Bible, and indicates their 
methods. For all teachers and the pastor. (23) History of the 
Hebrews, Sanders, 1.00. A simple, scholarly treatment, with 
maps and charts, for ail students of the Bible. (24) The One- 
Volume Bible Commentary, Dummelow, 2.50. Gives help on 
any passage in the Bible, in brief scholarly fashion. (25) Dic- 
tionary of the Bible, one volume, Hastings, 5.00. Gives help on 
Bible books, characters, topics, places, customs, etc. For pas- 
tor, superintendent and teachers. B. Books for pupils. (1) 
Primary grades: Poulsson, Child Stories and Rhymes; Walker, 
Tales Come True; Monteith, Some Useful Animals, and What 
They Do for Us. (2) Juniors: Dale, Heroes and Great Hearts; 
Lang, Animal Story Book; Kipling, The Jungle Book; Beard, 
Things Worth Doing; Morris, Home Life in All Lands; Crowell, 
Alaska for Juniors; Hobson, Jink's Insides. (3) Intermediates: 
Cabot, Everyday Ethics; Parton, Captains of Industry, or Men 
of Business who Did Something Besides Making Money; Con- 
well, Manhood's Morning; Wingate, What Shall Our Boys Do 
for a Living? Beard, Recreation for Girls; Slattery, The Girl 
and Her Religion. (4) Seniors: Beveridge, The Young Man 
and the World; Parsons, Choosing a Vocation; Roosevelt, Ap- 
plied Ethics; Warner, The Young Woman in Modern Life; Wil- 
son, Making the Most of Ourselves; Hillis, Great Books as Life 
Teachers; Henderson, Social Duties; Bolton, Poor Boys Who 
Became Famous; Bolton, Girls Who Became Famous; Keller, 



166 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

The Story of My Life. (5) Adults: Coe, The Spiritual Life; 
James, Varieties of Religious Experience; Walker, Great Men 
of the Christian Church ; Paton, Christ and Civilization ; Clarke, 
Events and Epochs in Religious History; MacCunn, The Mak- 
ing of Character; Puffer, The Psychology of Beauty; St. John, 
Child Nature and Child Nurture; Kerley, Short Talks with 
Young Mothers; DuBois, Fireside Child Study; Poulsson, Love 
and Law in Child Training; Bailey and Lewis, For the Chil- 
dren's Hour; Mathews, Scientific Management in the Churches. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Indicate which of the books you have read that are 
listed in this chapter. If you have a Sunday-school library, how may 
it be improved? If you have none, what are you going to do about it? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Indicate the value of a good Sunday-school 
library. (2) Discuss the making of a Sunday-school library. (3) Dis- 
cuss the proper management of the library. (4) How may teachers 
and pupils be induced to read books? 

3. References. Cope, "Efficiency in the Sunday School," chapter 
27; Athearn, "The Church School;" Foote, "The Librarian of the 
Sunday School" and "Strengthening the Sunday School Library." See 
also the catalogues of the book supply houses. 



Part IV 

The Bible-Materials 



STUDYING THE BIBLE 169 



CHAPTER I 

STUDYING THE BIBLE 

The twenty chapters of which this is the first are intended 
to serve as a brief introduction to the Bible for Sunday-school 
teachers, to help them into a proper appreciation of its contents 
and into its intelligent study. The Sunday-school teacher's 
chief source of pedagogical materials is the Bible, and with 
this, therefore, he must be acquainted. He must know in order 
to teach. He must be a student before he can be a teacher. 
Of what avail is method without matter? 

1. Necessity for Study. In a college class in Old Testament 
history and literature, I gave, as part of a surprise test, early 
in the course, the following: Locate Sinai, burning bush, mess 
of pottage, alabaster box, Deborah, Dorcas. All the members 
of the class were high school graduates and from good Chris- 
tian homes, and had been in Sunday-school all their lives. Not 
one of the ten young women gave a complete answer, and two 
did not try at all. One of those who did try gave this answer: 
"Sinai was a mount where Jesus prayed. Alabaster box was 
where they put money." Another of these said: "Burning bush 
— a sacrifice was made there." A third gave the following: 
"When Paul was changed from bad to good one day along the 
road, he saw a burning bush and heard a voice speaking to 
him. He was blind for three days. Someone sold his right of 
inheritance for a mess of pottage. Alabaster box we heard 
about in Sunday-school a few Sundays ago, however — " A 
fourth answered as follows: "I do not know anything about 
Sinai. I have heard of burning bush, mess of pottage, alabaster 
box, and Deborah, but I know nothing about them." Some other 
parts of the test did not fare better. At the next meeting of 
the class, I said: "The difficulty with you young ladies is 
that you have been trained not to study the Bible. You have 
been led to believe that a knowledge of the Bible comes by 
magic, suddenly, without effort on your part, and you have had 
no real preparation for this course of study. You have not had 
a fair chance in religious education. You are in your thirteenth 
year in school, and you have had twelve years of fairly good 



170 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

preparation for the college English which you are now studying, 
but you have had practically none for college Bible, It is likely 
that your Sunday-school teacher was untrained, and did not 
know how really to study the Bible. She herself had, as a sub- 
stitute for real Bible nourishment, some predigested, Uniform- 
lesson, "quarterly" breakfast food, and she fed you on the 
same kind of stuff. Now it is time for you to learn, particularly 
if you are going to be Sunday-school teachers, that you must 
do some real thinking in connection with the Bible, and go 
about its study in the same earnest, thorough way you have 
been studying other subjects. If we really believe that God 
speaks to us from the Bible, then let us do him the honor to 
make an honest effort to understand what he says." 

2. Help from the Scholars. One may study the Bible devo- 
tionally, topically, as literature, by books, or in a preliminary, 
introductory way as in this course, but, in any case, he will need 
to avail himself of the rich treasures of scholarship. The re- 
sults of the patient work of the great scholars of the ages is 
available in standard commentaries, Bible maps and diction- 
aries, and single volumes on various phases of Bible study. 
There are several classes of scholars to whom we are indebted. 
(1) Critics of the text. Among the greatest scholars of the world 
are the textual critics, who have carefully studied and com- 
pared the Scriptures in the ancient languages of the various 
manuscripts, in the translations of the various versions, and in 
the numerous quotations of the early Christian writings, and 
who have given to us the inspired writings in a text as near 
to the originals as can be obtained at this time. (2) Critics of 
the form. A growing class of earnest scholars have given much 
attention to the study of the Bible as literature, and to de- 
termining the nature and authorship and dates of the various 
inspired writings. These scholars have helped us into a more 
scientific study of the Bible, have removed many apparent con- 
flicts between science and religion, have given a new impetus 
to its earnest study, and have brought about a new appreciation 
of its beauties and power. (3) The archeolo gists. We are 
greatly indebted to the acheologists for recovering for us valu- 
able records which corroborate the biblical narratives. Their 
explorations and investigations have made available documents 
which throw much light upon the early Hebrews and their con- 
temporaries, and upon the Hebrew language itself. (4) The 
psychologists. The genetic psychologists, at the basis of whose 



STUDYING THE BIBLE 171 

psychology is biology, have helped us to understand life, and 
thus to understand better both the book and the pupil, for we 
come to see that the Bible has grown out of religious life, and 
that it ministers to religious life. We have a better appre- 
ciation of the Bible and of God's method with a human soul. 

3. Using Common Sense. The use of common sense is es- 
sential in getting the meanings that the inspired authors intend- 
ed to convey. Consideration should be given to the following: 

(1) The language. Frequently we have before us neither the 
language of the original compositions of the inspired writers nor 
the language that we speak and understand, namely, English. 
The English in the King James Bible, which is still used in 
some Sunday-schools, is the English of our time only in part. 
It is the English of three hundred years ago, and it needs a 
great deal of translating to make it intelligible, for, "owing to 
the natural growth of the English language itself, many words 
in the Authorized Version have become obsolete, and several 
have completely changed their meaning during the past three 
hundred years." Every Sunday-school teacher should own a 
copy of the Bible in the American Standard Version, which is 
more modern English than that of the Authorized, or King 
James. But even this is not all modern. There is badly needed 
a revision of the Bible that really revises, giving us the mean- 
ings in the best and simplest English of our time. "An Im- 
proved Edition" of the Bible is a step in this direction. Moffat's 
"New Translation of the New Testament" and the better known 
"Twentieth Century New Testament" are exceedingly valuable. 

(2) The times. Consider the author's original environment. 
When did he write, to whom did he write, and what was the 
occasion of his writing? If the words were spoken before they 
were written, what were the circumstances? Seek to project 
yourself back into the author's times, that you may value his 
ideas and his descriptions of men in the light of that age, and 
not by the standards of today. (3) The value. Consider the 
relative value of the passage of Scripture in hand. Not all por- 
tions of Scripture are to be studied or used alike. Some por- 
tions have a greater practical value than others. Jesus recog- 
nized this fact in His use of the Old Testament. He used some 
portions more than others in His teaching, and some He did not 
use at all. There are some selections of Scripture that appear 
again and again in our Sunday-school lessons, and others that 
have not been used in any of the lessons. Most Christians use 



172 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

some portions of Scripture more than others. (4) The context. 
Study the text in the light of the context. Very frequently a 
single verse or statement of Scripture taken alone, without re- 
gard to its connection, does not mean anything; and, if one in- 
sists on making it mean something, it is likely to be the wrong 
thing. Thus it has come about that the most absurd of faiths 
has its "proof -texts." Through this "wresting" of Scripture, 
one may defend the errors of his individual life, of his denomi- 
nation, of his politics, of his social program. Some go so far as 
to treat verses of Scripture as so many charms, with which 
to ward off calamity and secure "good luck." They take to 
themselves virtue in mere memorization and repetition. (5) The 
figures. The teacher should seek to distinguish between the lit- 
eral and the figurative. One may be as true as the other, and 
both may be made to teach error instead of truth. The teacher 
of a class of intermediate girls had as a lesson the healing of 
the blind man, as recorded in the eighth chapter of Mark, and 
she explained that Jesus' laying His hands upon the eyes twice 
signified the two works of grace, conversion first, and then 
sanctification. Apparently she had not learned that the Bible 
is full enough of rich spiritual meaning, without thus forcing 
a spiritual meaning out of a plain statement of fact, and that 
usually the most natural and evident meaning of a passage is 
the correct one. On the other hand, the common-sense teacher 
will interpret figurative language figuratively, and so will not 
make a parable go on all fours, or interpret the material repre- 
sentations of heaven as literal. Beware of the teacher that re- 
gards the Bible as a book of riddles or of Chinese puzzles, and 
who revels all the while in Daniel or Revelation. 

4. Value of Spiritual Insight. Scholarship and common 
sense alone are not sufficient in getting at the facts and mean- 
ings of the Bible. The teacher needs also to have spiritual 
insight in getting at the truths for himself in and back of the 
historical events and beliefs of the Hebrews, Jews, and early 
Christians. The spiritually minded may find, without spirit- 
ualizing and without ignoring scholarship, certain blessed truths 
in the Bible that were not seen even by the writers themselves. 
The spiritually-minded teacher is not the one that decries schol- 
arship, weeps easily, and indulges in pious phrases. On the 
other hand, he has a mind, and uses it in thinking with God for 
his pupils. He has fellowship with Jesus, seeks to realize the 



STUDYING THE BIBLE 173 

truth in his own life, relies on the divine illumination, and is 
willing to pay the price of spiritual insight in earnest, intelli- 
gent effort. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. A pious- speaking- man said to me: "I don't see 
the need of all this reading of books and studying the Bible like you 
say. Didn't Jesus promise to send the Holy Spirit to guide us into the 
truth? It seems to me that we need more prayer, and less study." 
What would you have said to this man? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give an instance showing the necessity for 
Bible study. (2) Indicate how four classes of scholars have helped to 
make possible intelligent Bible study. (3) Discuss the use of common 
sense in studying the Bible. (4) Define spiritual insight, and indicate 
its value. 

3. References. Waring, "Christianity and Its Bible," chapter 3; 
Selleck, "The New Appreciation of the Bible," chapters 12, 13; Sanders, 
"History of the Hebrews," sections 1-10; Bible dictionaries and com- 
mentaries. 



174 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER II 

THE TEACHER'S GREAT BOOK 

"The place which the Bible already fills in modern life is so 
large and honorable as to entitle it to the profound respect of all 
intelligent people. The still larger place which it is both worthy 
and certain to occupy in the future development of our civiliza- 
tion renders exceedingly important a most thorough considera- 
tion of every vital question connected with its nature and influ- 
ence." 

1. Character of Its Literature. "The Bible is best defined as 
a literature." (1) Its size. The Bible really is a library of 
many books. The name itself, though singular in English, 
means "the little books." It comes to us from the Greek through 
the Latin, along with "paper," from papyrus, or byblus, the 
name of a reed, the pith of which was widely used in ancient 
times as the material from which books were made. We are ac- 
customed to say that the Bible contains sixty-six books, thirty- 
nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testa- 
ment, but there are, in reality, more than sixty-six, for some of 
these are made up of smaller books and tracts. The Jews 
counted our Old Testament books as twenty-two, instead of thir- 
ty-nine, regarding the twelve minor prophets as one, and also 
combining other books. (2) Its variety. There are many kinds 
of literature in the Bible. There are prose and poetry, the dra- 
matic and the didactic, the historical and the hortatory, lyrics 
and love-stories, odes and orations, epics and epistles, essays 
and elegies, proverbs and parables, songs and sermons, riddles 
and rhapsodies. Says Sanders: "As a literature, the Bible re- 
sponds to the great tests to which any literature must conform. 
It represents many centuries of thinking and interpretation; its 
books are of the choicest quality; it utilizes every form of ex- 
pression natural to the human mind ; it deals with the prof ound- 
est problems of human experience; it sets forth commanding 
ideals." (3) Its value. The literature of the Bible is, far the 
most part, religious literature. Speaking of the Hebrews and 
their literature, Wood and Grant say: "As time went on, their 
literature grew till the nation had a large body of writings. 



THE TEACHER'S GREAT BOOK 175 

Much of it was religious. Those interested in the religious life 
of the nation felt its value. Gradually it acquired a peculiar 
sacredness. Men felt that through these books God spoke to 
them, and that the writings were different from common books. 
The final result was a canon, or collection of sacred books." 

2. Some Possible Divisions. The Bible does not divide itself, 
and does not name its divisions as we now have them. (1) Pres- 
ent arrangement of books. "The present method of arranging 
the books in the printed Bible was first adopted by the Greek 
translators in the third century before Christ. With some 
modifications it was preserved in the Latin Bibles of 400 A. D., 
and later. The arrangement of the English Bible is that of the 
Latin Bible, the Apocrypha being omitted. There is very little, 
if any, significance in the order in which the books are arranged 
in the English Old Testament." It is important, however, that 
one should be perfectly acquainted with this order, because of its 
general acceptance, and also with the common grouping of the 
books, as follows: a. Law (five books) — Genesis, Exodus, Le- 
viticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; b. History (twelve books) — 
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 
Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther; c. Poetry (five books) — 
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon; d. Major 
prophets (five books) — Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, 
Daniel; e. Minor prophets (twelve books) — Hosea, Joel, Amos, 
Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, 
Zechariah, Malachi; /. Gospels (four books) — Matthew, Mark, 
Luke, John; g. Netv Testament history (one book) — Acts; h. 
Paul's epistles (thirteen) — Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Gala- 
tians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 
1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon; i. General epistles (eight) — 
Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude; ;. New 
Testament prophecy (one book) — Revelation. (2) Hebrew 
scribal grouping. Says Sanders: "The only grouping referred 
to in the Bible itself is the threefold division of the scribes, who 
distinguish the Old Testament as the Law, the Prophets and the 
Psalms or Writings. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 1:45) The Law 
included the books from Genesis to Deuteronomy. The Prophets 
included the books from Joshua to Second Kings, except Ruth; 
and from Isaiah to Malachi, except Daniel. The Writings in- 
cluded the remainder of the thirty-nine books. This grouping, it 
is generally believed today, represents the three stages by which 
the Old Testament became recognized as a Bible. It is not in any 



176 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

true sense a classification." (3) Literary classification recom- 
mended. The following literary classification has been recom- 
mended, as most valuable for the student of today: a. History 
(fifteen books) — Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 
Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chroni- 
cles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Acts; b. Prophecy (fourteen 
books) — Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, 
Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Mala- 
chi; c. Lyrics (three books) — Psalms, Song of Solomon, Lamen- 
tations; d. Stories (three books) — Euth, Esther, Jonah; e. Legal 
books (four) — Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; /. 
Apocalyptical writings (two books) — Daniel, Eevelation; g. Wis- 
dom writings (four books) — Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, James; 
h. Gospels (four books) — Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; i. Pauline 
epistles (thirteen) — Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Gala- 
tians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 
Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon; j. Gen- 
eral epistles (seven) — Hebrews, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 
3 John, Jude. 

3. Names and Order of Books. These have a certain value, 
but they are not to be regarded as being inspired. (1) Old and 
New Testament. The terms Old Testament and New Testament 
have interest and value, but they were not used in the present 
meanings until long after all the books of the Bible were writ- 
ten. The word "Testament" came to us from the Latin testa- 
mentum, of which the original, both in Greek and Hebrew, 
means covenant. The Old Testament is so called because it em- 
bodies the Scriptures produced under the old, or Jewish, cove- 
nant, being "primarily the written record of the origin, terms, 
and history of the solemn agreement which existed between the 
Israelitish nation and Jehovah," and the New Testament is so 
called because it was produced under the new, or Christian, 
covenant. The usage grew out of the phrases "a new covenant" 
and "the old covenant," which are found in 2 Corinthians 3:6, 14. 
(2) How books were named. The names of our sixty-six books of 
the Bible have a certain value, but the names are not a part of 
the original writings, for the writers themselves did not name 
their books. The writer of Genesis, for instance, did not call his 
writing "Genesis." So with the other books. These brain chil- 
dren of the inspired writers were named by editors and com- 
pilers long after the death of those who begot them. It is the 
same with the chapter and verse divisions in our Bible. These 



THE TEACHER'S GREAT BOOK 177 

are of comparatively recent origin, and are not to be regarded as 
a part of the original writings. They did not come into exist- 
ence until about the middle of the sixteenth century of our era, 
long after the last of the Bible books were written. The chap- 
ter and verse divisions as we have them are a great convenience, 
and are on the whole well done, but there are many mistakes in 
them. Frequently a division breaks into the thought and ob- 
scures the meaning of the passage. This may be seen in the 
paragraph arrangement of our later versions. In the matter of 
the division of words too, and of punctuation, the same thing is 
true. These are of much later origin than the books them- 
selves. As the Scriptures came from the hands of the inspired 
authors, there was no punctuation of any kind, no divisions be- 
tween words, and, in the Old Testament, no vowels, but only 
consonants. And all the letters were capitals. (3) The order 
not chronological. The books of the Bible are not arranged in 
the order of their writing. Some of the books of the Old Testa- 
ment that are placed in the first part of the collection were 
written after some of those that are placed later. So in the 
New Testament, some of the Epistles were written before the 
Gospels, and Mark was written before Matthew. Nor are the 
books arranged in the order of the occurrence of the events 
which they recount. This is true with reference to portions of 
the historical books of the Old Testament, and also of some of 
the prophetical books. In the New Testament the Gospels do 
not follow the chronological order strictly, but frequently a 
logical order; and the Epistles are not chronologically arranged. 
It is true probably that the arrangement of the books of the 
Bible does more nearly conform to the dates of events than to 
the dates of composition, but it is evident that neither order has 
been at all closely followed, and this fact accounts for much of 
the confusion with reference to the Bible in the mind of the 
average Sunday-school teacher. The teacher also would be dis- 
appointed if he came to the Bible expecting to find that the 
writings are arranged in the order in which they should be 
taught, and in lessons of the right length. Some parts of the 
New Testament should be taught before certain parts of the Old 
Testament, and in neither Testament should the first chapters 
constitute the first lessons. 



178 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. The writer knows a minister who has made it a 
practice to read the King James Bible through, in order, once every 
year. Is that a good way to read the Bible? Why? Drill yourself 
thoroughly until you can repeat from memory the present, the scribal, 
and the literary classifications of tne books of the Bible. It will help 
you in all your future Bible study. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) What can you say of the size of the teacher's 
great book? (2) What can you say of the variety in the literature of 
the Bible? (3) Discuss the value of the Bible as literature. (4) In- 
dicate the significance of the terms Old and New Testament. (5) 
Indicate the value of the names of the books of the Bible, and of the 
chapter and verse divisions. (6) Discuss the order of the books of 
the Bible. 

3. References. Sanders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 11-17; 
Waring, "Christianity and Its Bible," chapters 1, 6; Wood and Grant, 
"The Bible as Literature;" Houghton, "Hebrew Life and Thought;" 
Bible dictionary. 



GROWTH OF THE BIBLE 179 



CHAPTER III 

GROWTH OF THE BIBLE 

Some might wish that the Bible had come into the world sud- 
denly, in some spectacular fashion, but most of us are glad that 
it came as a gradual growth. The growth of the Bible involved 
the three elements of time, development, and personality. 

1. The Element of Time. Says Sanders: "The Bible repre- 
sents or describes the events of history for more than two 
thousand years, including the first century of our era. The 
period during which it was actually taking form was about one 
thousand years. Of this period nine centuries were necessary 
for the gradual appearance of the Old Testament, and one cen- 
tury for that of the New Testament." There is a sense in which 
the Bible was a much longer time in the making. Let your mind 
go back beyond the actual writing of the books as we now have 
them. For many thousands of years there was no Bible, and 
then for a long while there was but a part of a Bible. We must 
not think, however, that there was no religion when there was 
no Bible. Men knew God and worshiped him, and it was out 
of their religion that the Bible grew. As men came to know 
God, they expressed their religious life in deeds and signs and 
words. For many centuries human beings obeyed a funda- 
mental law of life in self-expression as they told to one another 
their religious experiences, and these were handed down from 
generation to generation in story and song. After a while, as 
civilization advanced, men began to write down the traditions 
which they had received from the past, and to leave behind them 
written expressions of their own religious life; and these records 
were the beginnings of the inspired writings of our Bible. 

2. The Element of Development. "The books of the Bible 
came into being in much the same fashion as the writings of 
any great and permanently valuable literature. Some of its 
writings, like the prophecies of Amos or Haggai or the letter of 
Paul to Philemon, represent the utterances of a short period or 
one single incident, and were probably put into written form 
without much delay. But such books as the Psalter or Proverbs 



180 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

represent collections which were in the making for centuries. 
Other books, like the histories, represent works which grew into 
their present form by degrees." Moreover, there was not only 
this change in the form of books and collections of books, in the 
gradual growth of the Bible, but, taking all of them into ac- 
count, there was also a change in view and a development in 
quality. As the Bible grew, men grew. Their religious experi- 
ences became clearer and richer, and so there was development in 
their written records. We may read in the pages of the pro- 
gressive revelation as we have it in the Bible the history of 
man's spiritual development, just as we read the history of the 
earth's growth in its geological strata. We are perhaps prone 
to read the religious experiences of the twentieth century A. D. 
back into the tenth century B. C, but we need to remember that 
the earlier writers of the original sources of our Bible were a 
primitive people who lived in the child age of the world and who 
were uninstructed, imitative, and imaginative. As men grew 
spiritually, the revelation of God in their writings became 
clearer, as may be seen, for instance, in the growth of their con- 
ception of the deity and of the hereafter. "We are to think 
then," as Peake says, "of revelation as slowly emerging through 
a long historical process by which Israel was gradually trained 
to apprehend in ever-growing fulness the truth concerning the 
deep things of God." 

3. The Element of Personality. The fact that the person- 
ality of various writers has entered into the making of the 
Bible accounts in part for its wonderful charm and power. (1) 
The stamp of the human. The Bible has a human authorship 
as well as a divine origin. The gold of divine truth bears the 
stamp of human personality. If the Infinite choose to express 
himself to humanity through a finite medium, it will follow that 
the writers will use their own language and style, utter their 
own thoughts and convictions, reveal their own failures and 
limitations, and express their own experiences and aspirations. 
This method makes for richness and effectiveness. (2) The 
identity of the authors. "The fact that a biblical book may 
have passed through more than one stage during its preparation 
does not impair its value, but increases it; nor does an inabil- 
ity to name its author detract from its value. The great signifi- 
cance of these writings lies in their essential accuracy and their 
inspirational value." The human authors of the Bible do not 
seem to have been concerned that we should identify their names 



GROWTH OF THE BIBLE 181 

with their writings. They wrote anonymously. Sometimes now 
one writes anonymously, but usually he signs his name to his 
writing and avails himself of copyright protection against the 
substitution of another name for his own. When the Bible was 
written, there were no copyright laws, and no quotation marks, 
and writers were not careful to attach their names or to indi- 
cate that they were quoting, but "they were concerned that their 
readers should possess the best and most edifying narratives, 
and handled their materials accordingly." In this connection 
Bennett says: "An ancient history was not a literary work to 
be carefully kept separate as a finished product, and transmit- 
ted unaltered, but a nucleus round which supplementary ma- 
terial collected. The historian did not usually attempt any re- 
construction of history. He selected the more important pas- 
sages of his authorities and made a rough mosaic of them. He 
preferred to use these passages unaltered, but he was constantly 
compelled to add or modify, and still more frequently to omit. 
These changes enabled him to express his judgment as to past 
history." It has come about, therefore, that we are left in igno- 
rance of the names of the authors of large parts of the Bible, 
and in doubt as to the authorship of other parts. Frequently we 
are unable to say who is the author of a given passage, and it is 
not important that we should know. (3) The significance of life. 
By reason of the fact that the Bible is the expression of the 
best religious life in history, it has come to occupy a place of 
unique distinction in the thought and life of humanity. Selleck, 
speaking of the unique religion of the Israelitish people, says: 
"Now, out of the abundance of this religious life, so character- 
istic of the nation, that literature, those utterances and writ- 
ings, of which our Bible is the garnered remains, sprang forth, 
just as all literature is produced, with all its human imperfec- 
tions, limitations, errors, but full of the deep, earnest, holy 
thought and spirit which gave it its priceless value. And so the 
Bible today is simply the literary deposit of that full tide of 
religious life which laved the shores of Israel two thousand and 
more years ago — that life which was fed and led and blessed of 
God; which was developed under his providence through many 
centuries; and which gave birth at last to the great Teacher for 
whom the ages had toiled and waited, the Son of Man, the Re- 
vealer of the Father, the Prince of Peace, from whom the whole 
world may receive Israel's best and highest gift, increased and 
made divinely beautiful by his own deep, pure, unerring insight 



182 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

into the things of the spiritual life." The teacher who holds 
this view does not quibble about mere words. He realizes that 
words are important only as they reveal meaning, purpose, and 
spirit. He understands that the Bible has grown out of life, and 
that it ministers to life, and he recognizes in it "the cumulative 
religious experience of the countless thousands." He seeks to 
apprehend this religious experience and to make it intelligible 
and realizable to the pupil, remembering always that mere 
words, even in the inspired writings of the Bible, can only im- 
perfectly represent the glory and power of the religious experi- 
ences of human beings that have known and realized God. Thus 
he is able to bring forth rich treasures of truth, both new and 
old, and joyously to share them with his pupils. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. The writer knows a Sunday-school teacher whose 
class is a debating society, for the "unsettling:" of abstract questions 
of theology. He argues about the Word, instead of teaching the 
Word. Do you know of anyone who thus mishandles the Bible? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) How long was the Bible in the making? Ex- 
plain. (2) Discuss the element of development in the growth of the 
Bible. (3) Discuss the stamp of the human in the Bible. (4) Discuss 
Bible authorship. (5) Discuss the significance of life in the Bible. 

3. References. Waring, "Christianity and Its Bible," chapters 2, 
8, 9; SeUeck, "The New Appreciation of the Bible," chapter 6; San- 
ders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 18-20; Smyth, "The Bible in 
the Making;" Bennett, "A Primer of the Bible;" Dods, "The Bible: 
Its Origin and Nature;" Kent, "The Origin and Permanent Value of 
the Old Testament;" Ferris, "The Formation of the New Testament;" 
Peake, "The Bible: Its Origin, Its Significance, Its Abiding Worth." 



BIBLE MANUSCRIPTS AND VERSIONS 183 



CHAPTER IV 

BIBLE MANUSCRIPTS AND VERSIONS 

All the original writings of both Testaments have been lost, 
but very ancient copies of copies have come down to us, and are 
now preserved in the great museums of the world. The copies 
of the writings which were made in the original languages are 
called manuscripts, and those made in other languages are called 
versions. 

1. The Original Writing. The Bible did not have the benefit 
of printing-press and type until nearly fifteen hundred years 
after its completion. The writing was a kind of hand-printing, 
or drawing, all the letters being capitals. The Old Testament 
books were written with ink upon parchment, or prepared rolls 
of the skins of animals. The language used was mainly Hebrew, 
with the vowels left out. The New Testament books were writ- 
ten in Aramaic and Hellenistic Greek, upon rolls of papyrus, 
upon parchment, and upon vellum. "The ink used in writing 
both upon papyrus and parchment was called 'writing black.' 
It was made chiefly of pine soot mixed with gum arabic and 
then dissolved in water." The pen was a reed, shaped and split 
with a knife, or a metal stylus. We must not think of the turn- 
ing of leaves when we have in mind an ancient book, for the 
common form of book was the roll, a wooden roller being at- 
tached at the beginning and at the end. The art of writing is 
very ancient. There was writing in Egypt by 5000 B. C, in 
Babylonia by 4000 B. C, and in Palestine by 1500 B. C. Writ- 
ing at first was on stone, and other materials came into use 
later as follows: Clay, 4000 B. C; papyrus, 3500 B. C; skins, 
2000 B. C; parchment and vellum, 200 B. C; paper, 1500 A. D. 

2. Making of Manuscripts. It has come about, through the 
ravages of time, through fanatical religious opposition, through 
lack of appreciation of first copies, and through other causes, 
that we have left to us none of the original writings, but only 
copied manuscripts. The work of copying the manuscripts was 
done by specially trained scribes, and copies were multiplied and 
handed down from generation to generation. Very great care 
was exercised by copyists to guard against error, through their 



184 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

reverence for the text and through regulative rules. The oldest 
manuscript of the Old Testament, so far as is known, dates from 
916 A. D., and is known as the Saint Petersburg Codex of the 
Prophets, though a copy of the Pentateuch in the British Mu- 
seum is thought by some to be older. There are in existence 
only a few complete Old Testament manuscripts, but there are 
more than sixteen hundred of some of its parts. The oldest 
complete manuscript of the Old Testament dates from 1010 
A. D., but there are New Testament manuscripts that date from 
the fourth century A. D. Some of the most valuable of the New 
Testament manuscripts are the following: (1) The Vatican 
Manuscript, Codex B. This manuscript in Greek, written on 
fine vellum, containing almost the entire Bible, dating from the 
first half of the fourth century, is regarded as the oldest and 
best of the New Testament in existence. It has been in posses- 
sion of the Vatican Library at Rome for about five hundred 
years, and there are now fac-simile copies in other libraries. (2) 
Codex Sinaiticus. This manscript, in Greek, dating from 340 
A. D., and containing the entire New Testament and some frag- 
ments of the Old, is written on three hundred and forty-six and 
one-half leaves of the finest vellum, made from antelope skins, 
and was discovered in Saint Catherine's Convent, at the foot of 
Mt. Sinai, by the great German scholar, Dr. Tischendorf, in 1359 
A. D. It is now in the Library of Saint Petersburg, and is ac- 
cessible to scholars through its fac-similes in all our great libra- 
ries. The story of the discovery and recovery of this priceless 
manuscript is one of the most thrilling in the annals of the hero- 
ism of scholarship. (3) The Alexandrian Manuscript, Codex A. 
This manuscript dates from the first half of the fifth century 
A. D., contains nearly all the New Testament, and all the Old, 
and some fragments of other writings, and is now in the British 
Museum. There are copies in our chief public libraries. (4) 
Other important manuscripts. Besides these, there are the 
Codex Ephraem, the Codex Bezae, and about one hundred other 
ancient Greek manuscripts, or uncials, so called because of the 
fact that they were written in capital letters, without separation 
between the words. Besides these uncials, there are about two 
thousand later manuscripts, written in an ordinary running 
hand, and therefore called cursives. 

3. Some Important Versions. A version is a copy of the 
Bible in a language other than the original. The Bible has been 
translated into more than four hundred languages and dialects. 



BIBLE MANUSCRIPTS AND VERSIONS 185 

Some of the most important versions are the following: (1) 
The Septuagint. This translation of the Old Testament from 
Hebrew into Greek, begun the third century B. C, took its name 
from the supposition that it was made by seventy-two scholars, 
and it was the version in common use in the time of Christ. (2) 
Tar gums. These are translations of the Old Testament into the 
Aramaic dialect, some being made before, and some after, the 
time of Christ. (3) Syriac, Old Latin, Egyptian, Ethiopic, and 
Gothic versions were made during the first three centuries after 
Christ, and some of them have great value. (4) The Vulgate. 
This is a translation of the whole Bible into Latin, made by 
Jerome, near the close of the fourth century. "No other work 
has ever had such an influence on the history of the Bible. For 
more than a thousand years, it was the parent of every version 
of the Scriptures in Western Europe, and even now, when the 
Greek and Hebrew manuscripts are so easily accessible, the 
Rhemish and Douay Testaments are translations direct from 
the Vulgate, and its influence is quite perceptible even in our 
own Authorized Version." (Smyth) (5) Wyclifs Bible. John 
Wyclif, "the morning star of the Reformation," was the first 
translator of the Bible into English, 1382 A. D. His transla- 
tion was made from the Vulgate, in manuscript form, and was 
preceded by earlier attempts to translate the Bible into Anglo- 
Saxon, and then into early English. His work was well done, 
and was a great boon to the people, but it stirred the church 
leaders to persecution. (6) Tyndale' s Version. In 1525 A. D., 
William Tyndale translated the New Testament from the Greek, 
and this was the first printed New Testament in English. Later, 
Tyndale undertook to translate the Old Testament, but was put 
to death on the charge of heresy, before he could complete his 
work. "On Friday, the 6th October, 1536, he was strangled 
at the stake and then burned to ashes, fervently praying with 
his last words, 'Lord, open the King of England's eyes/ a prayer 
which was nearer to its answer than the heroic martyr deemed." 
(7) Coverdale's Bible. Myles Coverdale issued, in 1536 A. D., 
the first complete printed Bible in the English language. His 
work was based on that of Tyndale and on various German and 
Latin versions. (8) Matthews' Bible. In 1537 A. D., appeared 
Matthews' Bible, "which was really prepared by John Rogers, 
one of the early Reformers. This was a compound of Tyndale's 
and Coverdale's versions, and was the first English Bible with 
notes and chapter headings. (9) Douai Version. This was 



186 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

based on Tyndale. English Roman Catholics, who had fled to 
Douai in Flanders, published the New Testament in English in 
1582, and the Old Testament in 1610, translating from the Latin 
Vulgate. It was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, and re- 
mains their Bible today. (10) Authorized Version of 1611. This 
King James* Version was made by fifty-four of the best scholars 
of the time, under the patronage of James I, and passed slowly, 
against bitter opposition, into universal favor. (11) The Re- 
vised Version. The Revised Version was made under the auspices 
of the Church of England, which formed two companies of dis- 
tinguished scholars from all denominations, one for the Old Tes- 
tament and one for the New, with corresponding American com- 
panies working in close cooperation. After more than ten years' 
work, the Revised New Testament was published, in 1881; and 
after four more years, in 1885, the Revised Old Testament. "In 
1901 (having waited according to agreement) the American re- 
visers published the American Revision, containing their own 
preferences, so far as they had not been adopted by the English 
companies, and making many improvements. ,, The revisers sub- 
stituted modern English for the English of three hundred years 
before, adopted a paragraph arrangement, indicated the poetry, 
and produced a more accurate translation than the King James 
revisers, for the reason that they were better equipped and had 
access to a much larger number of manuscripts, versions and 
quotations. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Read one of the Gospels through in the "Twentieth 
Century New Testament" or in Moffatt's "New Translation of the 
New Testament," and you will appreciate how necessary it is that we 
shall have new versions from time to time, in order to keep the Bible 
in the language of the people. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss writing and writing materials in 
ancient t*mes. (2) Show how our earliest Old Testament manuscripts 
were made. (3) Give some account of three important manuscripts. 
(4) Distinguish between uncials and cursives. (5) Give some account 
of the Septuagint, the Targums, and the Vulgate among the early 
versions. (6) Give some account of Wyclif's, Tyndale's, Coverdale's, 
Matthews', and Douai versions. (7) Show that the Revised is superior 
to the King James' Version. 

3. References. Smyth, "How We Got Our Bible;" Price, "The 
Ancestry of Our English Bible;" Bible dictionary. 



THE CANON AND THE APOCRYPHA 187 



CHAPTER V 

THE CANON AND THE APOCRYPHA 

"No single authority ever made a canon; councils could only 
register the belief which had already risen. The Hebrew canon 
was long in the process of formation. The Law was regarded 
as sacred before 400 B. C, while at a council in Jamnia in 
Palestine, 90 A. D., the Rabbis were still discussing whether 
Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon should have a 
place in the canon." 

1. The Making of the Canon. The word canon means rule, 
or measure, and by the Canon of Scripture is meant the list of 
books which are considered as properly belonging to the Bible, 
as distinguished from the apocryphal, or spurious, books. The 
Old Testament canon was practically established before the 
time of Christ, and the New Testament canon was gradually fixed 
by the agreement of Christian readers before the end of the 
fourth century. Says Waring : "Just the number and the extent 
of the writings that Jesus and the apostles considered Specially 
Sacred we do not know. The question of the final settling 
of the Old Testament canon is one of great difficulty. In the 
third Council of Carthage, 397, all the New Testament books 
were recognized. In the Council of Trent, 1545-63, the books of 
the Old Testament Apocrypha were formally included in the 
canon of the Roman Catholic Church. Among the Protestants 
it is quite commonly recognized that their canon was not made 
through some miraculous revelation. It was not the result of 
the acts of infallible councils. It was made through a natural, 
gradual, more or less critical process, the results of which were 
discussed and some of them ratified by different councils." The 
books of the New Testament, written in widely separated parts 
of the Roman Empire, addressed to individuals and churches, 
grew out of the life of the early Christians, and gradually were 
gathered into a collection and established as authoritative, being 
distinguished from other writings of a somewhat similar char- 
acter. 

2. The Apocryphal Books. The word apocryphal means non- 
canonical, uninspired, not belonging to the Bible, though being 



188 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

somewhat like the writings of the Bible. The original word was 
Greek, and meant hidden, passing through several stages of 
meaning before it received the sense which we now give to it. 
These books have been regarded by the Roman Catholic Church 
as of equal authority with the canonical books of the Bible, but 
they are not so regarded by non-Catholics, though sometimes 
they are printed with the Bible. There is the greatest variety 
in value among the apocrypha. Those of the Old Testament 
have a considerable value in that they throw light upon the 
times in which they were written. Says Riggs: "In refusing to 
receive the apocryphal books as canonical, Protestantism has by 
no means declared them to be of no value. On the contrary, 
their worth for certain purposes has always been recognized. 
To the student of the centuries just preceding the Incarnation, 
they are of deep interest as reflecting the life and thought of 
Judaism in one of its most eventful periods." (1) Old Testa- 
ment apocrypha. "It is safe to say that the Jews never have 
recognized as belonging to the Canon of Scriptures any other 
books than those which now constitute our Old Testament." 
The Old Testament apocrypha were written during the last few 
centuries before Christ, and they reflect the life and thought 
of Judaism during that time. The most important of these 
books are the following: First Esdras, a revision of the canoni- 
cal Ezra, with some changes; Tobit and Judith, two legendary 
narratives of the times of the captivity written to lead the Jews 
to adhere strictly to the law; The Wisdom of Solomon, written 
by an Alexandrian Jew, setting forth the glory and value of 
wisdom and w r arning against idolatry; First Maccabees, a re- 
liable history of the period 175-135 B. C. ; Second Maccabees, 
a mixture of history and story told for religious edification. 
Others of these books are the Rest of Esther, Ecclesiasticus, 
Baruch, the Song of the Three Holy Children, the History of 
Susannah, and the History of Bel and the Dragon. The follow- 
ing estimate of the Old Testament apocrypha by Kent will be 
of interest: "While they will always be of great value in the 
study of later Jewish history, literature, and religion, the ma- 
jority of the apocryphal books undoubtedly belong in the sec- 
ondary group to which the Palestinian Jews and the Protestant 
Reformers assigned them. Three or four, however, tested by 
the ultimate principles of canonicity, are equal, if not superior, 
to certain books like Chronicles, Esther, and Ecclesiastes. First 
Maccabees records one of the most important crises in Israelit- 



THE CANON AND THE APOCRYPHA 189 

ish history. As a faithful historical writing, it is hardly 
equaled in ancient literature. Its spirit is also genuinely re- 
ligious. The later but parallel history of II Maccabees is not 
the equal of the first, although its religious purpose is more 
pronounced. Its historical character, style, aim, and point of 
view are strikingly similar to those of the book of Chronicles. 
The proverbs of Ben Sira, while not all of the same value, yet 
abound in noble and practical teachings, very similar to those 
in the book of Proverbs. Not only does the Wisdom of Solomon 
contain many exalted and spiritual passages, but it is also of 
unique importance because it represents that wonderful fusion 
of the best elements in Hebrew and Hellenic thought which 
formed the background of Christianity." (2) New Testament 
apocrypha. "The New Testament Apocrypha are deliberate at- 
tempts to fill in the gaps of the New Testament story in the life 
of Jesus, to further heretical ideas by false claims of authority, 
and to amplify the prophecies of Jesus by revelations given the 
apostles." These books are numerous, and they were written 
during the first few centuries after Christ. Some of these apoc- 
ryphal books are the Gospel According to the Hebrews, the 
Gospel According to the Egyptians, the Protevangelium of 
James, the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of the Infancy. The 
last named gives stories of the life of Jesus from the fifth to 
the twelfth year and makes Him at this time a miracle-worker 
to satisfy His own whims and ambitions. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Read, in the pulpit Bible, in Kent's "Makers and 
Teachers of Judaism," in Bagfster's "The Apocrypha," or elsewhere, 
one of the apocryphal books, and give your own personal estimate of 
its value. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Indicate what is meant by canon, and can- 
onical books. (2) Give dates of the formal fixing- of the Old Testa- 
ment and New Testament canons. (3) Indicate what is meant by 
apocryphal and the apocrypha. (4) Indicate the value of the Old 
Testament apocrypha. (5) Name some of the Old Testament apocry- 
phal books. (6) Indicate the character and value of the New Testa- 
ment apocryphal books. 

3. References. Kent, "The Origin and Permanent Value of the 
Old Testament," chapter 13; Bennett, "A Primer of the Bible," part I, 
chapter 13, part II, chapters 6, 7, 8; Ryle, "Canon of the Old Testa- 
ment;" Souter, "The Text and Canon of the New Testament;" Ferris, 
"The Formation of the New Testament;" Samuel Bag-ster and Sons, 
"The Apocrypha;" Bible dictionary. 



190 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VI 

THE BIBLE FROM GOD 

For his own sake, as well as for the sake of his pupils, the 
Sunday-school teacher ought to be able to give clear reasons for 
his belief that the Bible is from God, and these ought to be 
sound and convincing. 

1. Some Popular Conceptions. The views generally held 
with reference to this matter probably were fairly well reflected 
in answers given by a college class of young women, in a written 
preliminary test. The question was put in this form : "Why do 
you believe the Bible is from God?" The following were some of 
the answers I received: (i) "The Bible came from God because 
Christ told the disciples to write it down." This young woman 
did not seem to know that this could not have been true of the 
Old Testament books, for the reason that they were written be- 
fore the time of Christ, and that it could not have been true 
of the New Testament books, for the reason that they were not 
written until sometime after Christ. (2) "I think the Bible is 
from God because people who are well educated, and who know 
the Bible, say it is." What a comment is this on the character 
of the teaching in this young woman's Sunday-school. Evi- 
dently she had never been trained to do any real thinking for 
herself, but had received her beliefs ready prepared in nice little 
theological packages, tied with ecclesiastical baby-ribbon. Her 
teacher and preacher had been thinking for her, instead of with 
her, if indeed they had done any thinking at all. It is likely 
that they had simply handed out packages that had been handed 
to them. (3) "The Bible is from God because it is the only 
book which can fully account for all the events of history from 
the creation. Part of it is divine revelation, and the remainder 
is written by inspired men of God." This statement would not 
have been made by this student if she had stopped to reflect that 
not all the books ever written, including the Bible, "can fully 
account for all events of history." The Bible certainly does not 
profess to undertake so stupendous a task. It records only a 
selected few of the many, very many, events of history. The 
student's second statement indicated that she had been trained 



THE BIBLE FROM GOD 191 

to repeat pious-sounding phrases, such as "divine revelation" 
and "inspired men of God," without having any very clear no- 
tion as to their real meaning. (4) "I feel that the Bible is from 
God because of its mysteries and things which we cannot under- 
stand." As a matter of fact, the Bible contains fewer "mys- 
teries and things we cannot understand" than do the writings 
of Mrs. Eddy of Christian Science fame. This student simply 
had never had any sympathetic guidance in the intelligent study 
of the Bible, and had an altogether wrong conception of its true 
character. (5) "I believe that the Bible is from God because 
of its religious truths and its examples of godly living that 
teach us how to live rightly." This answer gets right at the 
heart of the whole matter. It was a real reason. (6) "I believe 
the Bible is from God because it has stood, and continues to 
stand through all the ages, as the greatest book ever written; 
because it has met the needs of men of every race, class and 
character; because of its remarkable unity; because it is the 
foundation of the best laws and principles of the best civiliza- 
tion; and because the belief and practice of its teachings makes 
the best men and women." If we can have a generation of Sun- 
day-school teachers that can give answers like this last, a new 
and better Christian day will dawn for our churches and our 
world. 

2. Its Convincing Teachings. Leaving out of account the 
authorship, and forgetting everything that has been said about 
the Bible, consider the teachings themselves. (1) Independent 
of human authority. You do not need to accept these teachings 
on anybody's authority, for they are in themselves authorita- 
tive. Says Selleck: "It is the authority or power of inherent 
spiritual excellence, bearing its own weight, making its own im- 
press, winning its own sweet way among men, gaining the ad- 
miration, gratitude and affection of the soul, softening the hard 
heart, removing prejudice, overcoming wrath, rebuking, cor- 
recting, purifying, and invigorating the whole spirit and char- 
acter. Where else shall we find such a power? No king, prince, 
or potentate, no military officer, no ecclesiastical dignitary 
ever possessed any such power except in so far as it was really 
of this kind; that is to say, no power different from this ever 
equaled it in effectiveness." (2) Independent of miracles. These 
teachings are not dependent on attesting miracles. Greater 
than any miracle described in the Bible is the miracle of the 
Bible itself. We do not recognize divine revelation by the un- 



192 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

usual manner of its reception, proclamation, or authentication. 
The Bible nowhere grounds its claim for recognition on the 
miraculous. Some of the biblical writers did not claim to be 
able to work miracles, and most of them put but little stress 
upon the unusual. Luke, indeed, tells us that he went about 
the writing of his Gospel after the manner of a careful, pains- 
taking historian. Far more convincing than any attesting signs 
and wonders is the miracle of the Bible itself. It bears on its 
face its own proof of its divine authority. Marcus Dods, in 
"The Bible, Its Origin and Nature," makes much of "this self- 
evidencing character of the Bible — the something about it 
which awes and sobers the right-minded reader, and makes it in- 
dependent of criticism and sets it in a place apart." The Ten 
Commandments do not derive their authority from Moses, and 
their essential truths thunder more loudly than any rumblings 
of Sinai. So the Teaching on the Hill, as recorded in Matthew 
five to seven, is not authoritative simply because the teacher 
was Jesus. The essential truth of these sayings, their innate 
charm, and their matchless appeal, proclaim their divine origin. 
There are other writings that have great value in religious edu- 
cation, but the Bible comes to us with a ivealth of moral and re- 
ligious truth found in no other literature. The Bible stands 
supreme in the realm of ethics and religion. It contains more 
moral and religious truth than all other so-called sacred litera- 
tures combined, and presents it in a better form. "One may 
have, for example," says Peake, "the warmest and deepest ad- 
miration for the Buddha and recognize that the pity for man's 
wretched lot which inspired him is beyond all our praise. But 
Buddhism is an atheism rooted in a despairing pessimism." 
Confucianism does not recognize man's religious nature, and 
says nothing of his relation to God; Brahmanism is a kind of 
fatalism that deifies evil as well as good; and Mohammedanism 
magnifies the sensuous happiness of the individual. 

3. Its Practical Results. The teachings of the Bible issue in 
life and conduct. They are vital, practical, livable. They are 
far from being mysterious, abstract, metaphysical. They have 
grown out of religious life, and they produce religious life, both 
in the nation and in the individual. (1) In the nation. The 
Bible stands the acid test in that it is at the same time the ef- 
fect and the cause of religious experience. "The Old Testa- 
ment," as Peake says, "is the precipitate of a great religious ex- 
perience. It came through a people which combined in a unique 



THE BIBLE FROM GOD 193 

degree a genius for religion with a passion for righteousness. 
It worshiped a God who counted all religion as vain which was 
not penetrated throughout with an enthusiasm for conduct. It 
fused religion and ethics, those elements so often disjoined, into 
an inseparable unity. It gave the sanction of religion to the 
loftiest morality in a way hitherto unknown. Not untruly has 
h been said that in matters of religion the Hebrews appear 
among the peoples of antiquity as a sober man among drunk- 
ards. And their religious development was guided and inspired 
by a series of teachers who stand alone in the history of our 
race." Similarly, it may be said of the New Testament, that 
it is the precipitate of the experiences of Jesus and his follow- 
ers. The Bible, then, may be said to be a transcript of religious 
life, and it would seem that it is God's plan to beget religious 
life through religious life. The history of the Bible has been 
closely identified with the history of civilization. "The nations 
reached by the Bible," says Selleck, "have been precisely those 
that have had most to do with the development of a progressive 
civilization." The Bible has transformed in turn the three 
greatest, most dominant civilizations — the Greek, the Eoman, and 
the Teutonic. (2) In the individual. The Bible brings man face to 
face with God and with the highest ideals of life. The appeal of 
the Bible is universal. The Bible "finds" man and satisfies his 
soul's thirst, whatever his age, his nationality, his circum- 
stances. The Bible "has everywhere nourished the best life 
that has been known on earth." It has been said of the Scrip- 
tures that "we know that they are inspired because they in- 
spire." And, when one attains the Bible type of religious life, 
he has in his own experience convincing proof of the Bible's 
divine origin. Indeed, it is held by Dods that "the only possible 
ultimate ground for believing Scripture to be the word of God 
is that there is that in the truth delivered which convinces me 
that God is its author." "If there is not a self-evidencing power 
in Christ and in his revelation, you will never find evidence of 
his truth anywhere else." (3) In Jesus. It is through the life 
and teaching of the divine Jesus that the Bible exerts its great- 
est influence and gives its strongest evidence of divine origin. 
"Those books," says Dods, "which form our Bible are all in 
direct connection with God's historical revelation which cul- 
minated in Christ." He is the culmination of the Old Testa- 
ment, and his teachings find expression and exemplification in 
the New Testament. Whatever one's theory of inspiration, and 



194 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

whatever his evaluation of the Gospel narratives, he must ac- 
count for Jesus, who has given us a great world-conquering re- 
ligion, and whose faith and life meet, in ever larger mesaure, 
the universal needs of humanity. Where Jesus' life and teach- 
ings are most fully lived, there is the highest type of manhood 
and womanhood, in the nation and community and home. If our 
four canonical Gospels had been lost, it has been said, "the main 
facts regarding Jesus' life would nevertheless have been pre- 
served"; but, as another has said: "It is the Christ of the Gos- 
pels that has won the heart of Christendom, and that in millions 
of instances has been found true and efficacious in the bringing 
of many sons to glory and to God." 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Sanders: "Inasmuch as the Hebrews grew from a 
primitive stage of social development into a cultured, forceful nation, 
their religious experiences paralleled that of every thoughtful human 
being in his development from childhood to maturity. Somewhere in 
these Biblical records every one finds a reflex of his religious atti- 
tude and some satisfaction of his religious needs. This explains the 
wonderful helpfulness of the Bible to all honest-minded searchers 
after truth. It also explains why some portions of the Bible appeal 
to us more strongly at one time than another, and why some portions 
appeal to growing minds while other sections have a message only for 
those of ripened religious experience. A group of writings which 
embody the matured religious convictions of a religiously gifted race 
will not yield their deepest meanings to the casual student. They offer 
a lifelong delight and surprise to the finest intellects of every age." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) What are some wrong "reasons" for believing 
that the Bible is from God. (2) Show that the value of the teachings 
of the Bible is not dependent on human authority. (3) Show that the 
value of the Bible teachings is not dependent on miracles. (4) Indi- 
cate the effect of the Bible teachings among the Hebrews, and other 
nations. (5) Discuss the value of the Bible teachings and life to the 
individual. (6) Discuss the unique character and influence of Jesus 
as proof that the Bible is from God. 

3. References. Selleck, "The New Appreciation of the Bible," 
chapters 7, 8; Dods, "The Bible: Its Origin and Nature;" Peake, "The 
Bible: Its Origin, Its Significance, Its Abiding Worth." 



THE TEACHER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 195 



CHAPTER VII 

THE TEACHER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 

The Old Testament accords the place of honor to the teacher, 
and is rich in suggestion for the modern Sunday-school teacher. 
Judaism has always been preeminently a teaching religion. 
Perhaps among no other people has the teacher been so highly 
honored, and, to this day, every faithful Jew has a deep respect 
for the learned teacher. The Jews have not depended on preach- 
ing, or creeds, or ceremonies, for the perpetuation- of their 
faith, but primarily on teaching. 

1. The Place of the Teacher. Consider the preeminence of 
the teacher in the Old Testament. (1) Three classes of teach- 
ers. These three classes of teachers that arose in Israel were 
the prophets, the priests, and the wise men. These three classes 
are incidentally named by the foes of Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 18 : 
18: "For the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel 
from the wise, nor the word from the prophet." (2) The teach- 
ing and the writing. The literary remains of these three classes 
of teachers constitute most of the Old Testament. From the 
prophets, we have the prophecies, much of the history, and most 
of the Psalms; from the priests, we have much of the history 
and legislation ; and from the wise men, we have the Proverbs, 
the book of Job, a few passages in the historical books, and some 
other passages. (3) The home teaching. It must not be 
thought that religious education in Israel was wholly, or even 
mainly, given over to professional teachers. At all times the 
home teaching was the important factor. And, in the earliest 
times, before the gradual rise of the prophets, who were the 
first of the professional teachers, "the training of the young 
appears to have been," according to Zenos, "entirely in the 
hands of their parents, especially the fathers." Moreover, when 
education passed out of its household stage, its development was 
almost exclusively with reference to the male members of so- 
ciety. "The training of girls remained a task of the mother 
and had for its main object their preparation for ideal mother- 
hood." In the Deuteronomic law, it is strongly emphasized that 



196 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

the individual, from earliest childhood, must be trained in re- 
ligion (Deut. 6:6-9). 

2. The Art of the Teacher. The Old Testament teachers 
gave careful attention to the form as well as to the content of 
their teaching. They made painstaking preparation, gave ear- 
nest consideration to details, and laboriously wrought out their 
teaching with a consummate artistry. (1) Methods of the 
prophets. The chief function of the prophets was teaching, and 
not the foretelling of future events. They were supposed to 
sustain a peculiarly close relation to Jehovah, and to speak for 
Him to the people, sometimes concerning the future, but more 
usually concerning the past and the present. Their work was 
one of agitation, reformation, regeneration, and indoctrination. 
Some of their methods may be indicated as follows: a. Stories. 
They made large use of stories, both realistic and idealistic. 
The story told to David by the prophet Nathan is a masterpiece 
of effective teaching, b. Parallelism. Much of the teaching of 
the prophets was cast in the form of poetic parallelism, the 
meter being adapted to the immediate end in view. Thus they 
appealed to the instinctive love of rhythm, and made their mes- 
sages stick in the memories of their pupils, c. Question. Some- 
times the prophet used the question-and-answer method, asking 
questions of king and princes in the court or of the people about 
him, and in turn answering their questions. Occasionally the 
question was rhetorical, answering itself. At times, the ques- 
tion was in the nature of argumentative reasoning, as in Amos 
3:3-6. d. Dialogue. For dramatic effectiveness, the prophet 
sometimes carried on a conversation between himself and Jeho- 
vah, between himself and a pupil, or between the oracle and the 
people. Examples are found in Isaiah 3 and Jeremiah 15:10-21. 
e. Monologue. Sometimes the prophecy took the form of a 
monologue, as in Jeremiah 9:1, 2. /. Exhortations. The appeal 
occasionally was to the emotions, in tender, persuasive exhorta- 
tions to repentance and reformation, g. Objects. Hosea named 
his baby girl "Unpitied," that he might thus teach the nation an 
important lesson. Other examples of object-teaching are found 
in Ahijah, who tore his garment into twelve pieces; in Isaiah, 
who went barefooted about the streets of Jerusalem for three 
years; in Jeremiah, who appeared in public with a wooden yoke 
about his neck; and in Ezekiel, who cut off his hair and used 
it in teaching a lesson, h. Paronomasia. At times, the prophets 
employed solemn plays on the sound of words, as in Micah 1: 



THE TEACHER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 197 

10-13, where the writer plays upon the names of the cities about 
his home in western Judah in his discussion of the approaching 
devastation by the Assyrians, i. Invective. Sometimes the mes- 
sage took the form of bitter invective, of sweeping charge, as 
in Hosea 4:1, 2. j. Woes and doom songs. At times the mes- 
sage took the form of woes, which described guilt and conse- 
quent punishment, as in Isaiah 5:8, 9, and at other times of 
doom songs, describing inevitable national disaster, as in Isaiah 
2:11-13. k. Visions and rhapsodies. There were times when the 
prophets made their messages very vivid and impressive by cast- 
ing them in the form of visions, as in Amos 7 and 8, and "some- 
times in imagination the prophets rose above the petty prob- 
lems and sins which confronted them and lifted themselves and 
their hearers high above earth in such wonderful rhapsodies as 
are found, for example, in the immortal lines of Isaiah 40 to 
66" (2) Methods of the priests. The priests at their best were 
far from being mere formalists — long-robed officials presenting 
sacrifices at ancient altars. The participation in the sacrifices 
in the sanctuary, the instruction in the forms of worship, and 
the preservation of the religious traditions and institutions — 
all these were mere incidents in the great constructive work of 
the religious teacher as exemplified in the Old Testament 
priests. At times the priests worked in harmony with the proph- 
ets, and at other times they were in opposition; but, always, 
they were like the prophets in that they exercised the teaching 
function as a part of their work. Some indications of the meth- 
ods of the priests is given in the outline that follows : a. Cere- 
mony. The wearing of spotless white garments, the various 
acts of purification, the practices in regard to clean and un- 
clean, and other ceremonial customs, constituted a powerful 
visual appeal for bodily and spiritual purity. These constant 
object-lessons contributed in no small degree to the effectiveness 
of the priests' teaching, b. Ritual. To the modern mind the 
Jewish ritual ma<y seem extremely childish, and even meaning- 
less, but to the average immature worshiper of that day it 
was doubtless full of meaning and rich in teaching value. In 
participation with the priest in symbolic performance, the wor- 
shiper found joy, power over sin, and guidance in right living. 
This is indicated in some of the later temple psalms, c. Deca- 
logues. Following the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 there 
are nine other decalogues, in Exodus 21 to 23 — five containing 
civil and social laws and four containing ceremonial and re- 



198 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

ligious laws. Each group of ten was divided into two groups 
of five each. "Each law in a decalogue was, therefore," as 
Kent observes, "presumably associated with a certain finger or 
thumb of the hand, and in turn each one of the ten decalogues 
was likewise fixed in the memory of the learner." Originally, 
each decalogue consisted probably of ten short sentences or 
words, each illustrating a fundamental principle applicable to 
all kindred cases. Better memory aids could scarcely have 
been devised, d. Drill. There is evidence that these decalogues 
were drilled into the pupils until firmly fixed in the mind 
through association and repetition, e. Application. These 
priestly teachers helped their pupils in the practical application 
of principles in their social relations. /. Text-books. Text- 
books came into use gradually. At the first there were none, 
but after a while the priests began to write down their deca- 
logues and to keep records of their decisions; and, later, collec- 
tions were made of these, in which was also embodied a his- 
torical setting. "The result is that a large portion of the 
writings of the Old Testament come from Israel's priestly teach- 
ers." (3) Methods of the wise men. The wise men sought to 
develop in their pupils practical wisdom, right attitudes, indi- 
vidual character, and social efficiency. They made effective use 
of the following: a. Proverb. Much of their subject-matter 
was carefully wrought into proverbs, which embodied the prin- 
ciple of parallelism, the fundamental characteristic of Hebrew 
poetry, b. Similitude. Probably one of the earliest forms which 
the proverb took was that of the similitude, in which the com- 
monest objects and the most familiar experiences of life were 
embodied, the new truth being thus associated with the old. An 
example is found in Proverbs 26:14. c. Riddles. The element 
of mystery in the riddle caught attention, held the interest of 
the pupil, appealed to the instinctive pleasure in competition, 
and provoked discussion. In Proverbs 30:21-23, for example, is 
an answer to a riddle, d. Paradox. The paradox, which was 
akin to the riddle in its effect, was used for its thought-pro- 
voking value. An example is Proverbs 26:4, 5. e. Essay. The 
wise men sometimes skilfully combined a variety of proverbs, 
dealing with the same subject, into what has been called the 
gnomic essay, and were thus able to treat a theme in a compre- 
hensive and effective manner. /. Parable. The wise men made 
large use of the parable, or short idealistic story. Its value was 
akin to that of the riddle and the paradox. It appealed to the 



THE TEACHER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 199 

curiosity, caught the attention, aroused the imagination, stirred 
the emotions, provoked thought, and influenced the will. g. 
Drama. The best example in the Old Testament of what has 
been termed the "philosophical drama" is found in the book of 
Job. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Imagine an Old Testament teacher standing before 
the class with a modern quarterly in his hand. Which of the Old 
Testament methods are suitable in a modern Sunday-school? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the place of the teacher in the Old 
Testament. (2) Name eleven teaching methods used by the Old Testa- 
ment prophets. (3) Discuss the dialogue method as used in the third 
chapter of Isaiah. (4) Name six teaching methods used by the Old 
Testament priests. (5) Discuss the teaching value of the ritual in 
the Old Testament. (6) Name seven teaching methods used by the 
Old Testament wise men. (7) Discuss the teaching value of the rid- 
dle in Proverbs 30:21-23. 

3. References. Kent, "The Great Teachers of Judaism and Chris- 
tianity," chapters 1-8; Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," 
part I, chapters 1, 20, 21; Houghton, "Hebrew Life and Thought." 



200 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE TEACHER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 

In the New Testament writings, the educational purpose 
stands out in bold relief. Indeed, the New Testament books 
consist mainly of the teachings of the Great Teacher and the 
Apostles, who followed in His footsteps. They are the Christian 
Torah, or Teaching. With the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels 
are woven "narratives regarding the Master that were told by 
His disciples in order to instruct their hearers concerning His 
character and work." The Epistles of Paul are the correspond- 
ence lessons of a great teacher who had become thoroughly im- 
bued with the teaching of the Great Teacher. 

1. Influence of Scribes and Rabbis. The work of these men, 
who were teaching-links between the Old Testament and the 
New Testament, had an important bearing upon the life and 
teachings of Jesus and His apostles. The scribes, men of books, 
were the copyists, editors, and interpreters of the writings of 
Israel's earlier teachers. Through the Babylonian captivity and 
subsequent experiences of the Jews, the priests and the wise men 
were merged into the scribes, from whom arose the rabbis 
of Jesus' day. The influence of these teachers doubtless made 
itself felt in the ministry of Jesus, but at the same time He far 
outstripped them both in method and in matter. (1) Their his- 
tory. There are three stages in the history of scribism that 
have been distinguished. They are the periods of the early 
Sopherim, the Pairs of teachers, and the later teachers, a. The 
early Sopherim. This period begins with Ezra, about 450 B. C, 
and extends to the Maccabean period, 150 B. C. These Soph- 
erim completed and edited the written laws of the Old Testa- 
ment and closed the legal canon. They came to be recognized 
as the interpreters of the law. Among the great teachers of 
this period are Ezra, Simon the Just, and Antigonos of Socho. 
b. The Pairs of teachers. The teachers of the period which ex- 
tended from 150 to 10 B. C. were known as Zugoth, or Pairs. 
There are preserved, in rabbinical literature, the names of five 
of these Pairs, the most famous of whom were Hillel and Sham- 
mai. These great men lived and taught not long before the 



THE TEACHER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 201 

Christian era. Hillel, who was born in Babylon, was the 
founder of a school at Jerusalem. He was noted for his meek- 
ness, tolerance, and breadth of view, and his school became very 
influential in the development of Jewish character and faith. 
His rival, Shammai, who had also a strong following, was ex- 
ceedingly conservative, and was known to have a hasty temper. 
The discussions between these two teachers fill many pages of 
the Talmud, and reflect the different beliefs and practices of 
the Judaism of their day. c. The later teachers. The Tannaim, 
or teachers, of the first two centuries of the Christian era came 
to be known as rabbis. Rabbi means my great one, or my mas- 
ter. The rabbis were the great teachers who rose from the 
ranks of the scribes. The best known of these was Gamaliel. 
(2) Their aims. They interpreted the teachings of their prede- 
cessors, and sought to apply them to life and needs in their own 
day. They sought to rear up a nation conforming in every 
detail to the demands of the Torah, which was held to be a full 
and complete expression of the will of Jehovah, and competent 
to regulate individual conduct in every detail. They sought to 
train up disciples who should be prepared to continue their 
teaching work. They endeavored to realize their aims through 
the nation, and not merely through the individual. (3) Their 
opportunities. These teachers had every opportunity for suc- 
cess, as custodians, readers, and interpreters of the law in con- 
nection with the synagogue service, as directors of the primary 
synagogue schools, through their numerous disciples, and 
through their representation in the Sanhedrin, the great ad- 
ministrative, legislative, and judicial body of their nation. 
Many of them were able and sincere, but they were too formal 
and too much bound by the past. As interpreters, they followed 
the loose allegorizing methods inherited from the Greeks 
through Alexandria. They were lacking in the note of author- 
ity born of independent thinking and originality. (4) Their 
methods. As teachers, the scribes and rabbis were not deficient 
in method, their weakness being in matter. They were exceed- 
ingly skilful in the use of the best methods of their predecessors, 
and succeeded in imbuing their pupils with their own spirit and 
views and information. They used stories, parables, allegories, 
precepts, epigrams, proverbs, woes, beatitudes, questions, dis- 
cussion, and memorization. 

2. Jesus as a Teacher. Jesus was, more than anything else, 
a teacher. He was Physician, Prophet, and Preacher, but He 



202 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

was preeminently the Teacher. The title given Him by His 
contemporaries was Rabbi, or Teacher. Marquis says of Jesus : 
"Teaching was His chief business during the years of His min- 
istry." It was on His teaching that He most relied, and it was 
through the chosen few with whom He did His best teaching 
that His life and teachings became a permanent power in the 
world. (1) His training. Jesus did not rest in idleness for 
thirty years with the expectation that the heavenly Father 
would make him a great teacher through a succession of instan- 
taneous miracles. He emphasized His divinity, as well as His 
humanity, in paying the price of good teaching in a long course 
of thorough preparation. "He advanced in wisdom and stature." 
a. In the home. In the best Jewish homes, the children were 
given the most careful training, and Jesus' home was the best 
of the best. The teaching here was both by precept and by 
practice, b. In the school. The elementary schools of the Jews 
in Jesus' day seem to have been excellent, and he was doubtless 
thoroughly trained in the synagogue Bible school. "The educa- 
tion of the Jews," says Mathews, "was essentially religious, in- 
tended to make men in the first place servants of Jehovah and 
in the second place good citizens." c. In the world. It was a 
liberal education to live in Nazareth of Galilee, "This garden 
of the Lord," among the progressive cosmopolitans of that pros- 
perous, up-to-date province. (2) His pedagogy. In minister- 
ing to individual and social life, in Christianizing the individual 
and socializing the Christian, Jesus showed himself to be master 
of marvelous richness in matter and consummate skill in method. 
He who was so fully imbued with the spirit of the great teachers 
of the past, and who had so clearly apprehended their messages, 
had also thoroughly mastered their technique. He was at once 
inheritor and originator in the realm of pedagogy, a. Stories. 
Naturally we should expect to find the greatest of teachers 
making large use of the greatest of methods, story-telling. And 
such indeed is the case. His teachings abounded in stories of 
both the realistic and idealistic types, b. Objects and hand- 
work. Jesus keenly appreciated the value of the objective ap- 
peal through the eye. Among his object-lessons may be named 
his acts of healing, the child in the midst, the cleansing of the 
temple, the cursing of the fig tree, the bread and wine, his bap- 
tism, and his life as a whole. Jesus himself, the embodiment 
and complete illustration of all that he taught, was the greatest 
of all object-lessons. When the messengers from the imprisoned 



THE TEACHER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 203 

John came, he told them to study his work with their eyes as 
well as their ears before going back with their report, c. Vari- 
ous other methods. It would be easy to cite examples of Jesus' 
use of proverbs, precepts, woes, beatitudes, question and an- 
swer, dialogues, monologues, paradoxes, hyperboles, etc. In 
studying the pedagogy of Jesus it is important to keep in mind 
the following facts: (a) His method was always a means, and 
not an end in itself. (b) He used a great variety of methods, 
and always with discrimination, (c) He understood pupils, and 
suited both material and method to their needs. Compare his 
dealing with Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the fishermen, 
and his enemies, (d) He showed that he believed in his pupils 
and in their possibilities, (e) He was natural, direct, simple, 
and got at the heart of things. (/) He put the truth into the 
concrete, and made connection with life, avoiding abstractions 
and generalities, (g) He inspired confidence in his pupils, and 
established between himself and them a spirit of comradeship. 
(h) He had positive convictions, and at the same time respect- 
ed the views of his pupils, (i) He appealed to the intellect as 
well as to the emotions, (j) He sought to help his pupils to 
realize in themselves the fulness of life in relation to God and 
man. His aim was spiritual. 

3. The Early Christians. The early Christians were known 
as disciples, or learners. Jesus "made his church," says Mar- 
quis, "essentially a teaching body. The apostles were sent to 
teach." The term apostle was equivalent to itinerant teacher. 
Paul, who had sat at the feet of the Jewish teachers, constant- 
ly called himself apostle and teacher. One class of leaders in 
the early church bore as their official title "teachers." The 
pastors had to be "apt to teach." The important part of the 
work of the prophets and evangelists was teaching. The eld- 
ers were expected to act as teachers. "Thus it is evident that 
all the different classes of leaders in the early church were 
specially trained and consecrated to the ministry of teaching." 
"Christianity is distinctly a teaching religion. It propagates 
itself by teaching." (1) Their aims. The early Christian 
teachers sought to lead their pupils into the belief that Jesus 
was the fulfillment of the noblest Messianic hopes of the race, 
into a cordial acceptance of the teachings of Jesus, and into 
an active, consistent, living of the Christian life. (2) Their 
methods. These early Christian teachers did not indulge in any 
"fine writing" or tricks of speech, but they nevertheless gave 



204 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

careful attention to their literary forms and to their methods 
of presentation. Sometimes their literary forms rose to the 
heights of sublimity in their beautiful simplicity, as in the 
thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. They made effective 
use of stories of the realistic type, of precepts, of proverbs, of 
similitude, of beatitude, of questions, of discussion, and of per- 
sonal appeal. Moreover they taught by practice, themselves 
living the truth, and directing their pupils in Christian doing. 
Paul took his choice pupils along with him on his teaching tours, 
that they might learn by practice and observation. 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. The so-called Sermon on the Mount is not a sermon 
at all, but really, as Marcus Dods says, the Teaching- on the Hill, for 
the writer clearly indicates at the beginning that Matthew five to 
seven constitutes an outline of some of the characteristic teachings 
of Jesus. These chapters were misnamed Sermon on the Mount long 
after they were written. As a matter of fact, there is no sermon in 
the Gospels. There is an abundance of sermon material, but there 
are no sermons. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Show that the New Testament books grew 
out of teaching. (2) Indicate the bearing of the work of the scribes 
and rabbis upon the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles. (3) Discuss 
the history, aims, opportunities, and methods of the scribes. (4) 
Show that Jesus was, more than anything else, a teacher. (5) Dis- 
cuss Jesus' training- for His teaching. (6) Discuss Jesus' pedagogy. 
(7) Discuss the aims and methods of the early Christian teachers. 

3. References. Kent, "The Great Teachers of Judaism and Chris- 
tianity," chapters 9-15; Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," 
part II, chapter 6; Marquis, "Learning- to Teach from the Master 
Teacher;" Beardslee, "Teacher- Training With the Master Teacher;" 
Bible dictionary. 



GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 205 



CHAPTER IX 

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 

Geography gives us a sense of the realness of history, and 
helps us into its inner meaning. We must know the land in 
order to understand the life. A knowledge of Palestine, and 
the other Bible lands, is essential to an understanding of the life 
and literature of the Hebrews. "The sunny hills and valleys 
of Palestine, ,, as Kent says, "the unique combination of sea 
and plain, of mountain and desert, placed in the center of the 
ancient world, were all silent but effective agents in realizing 
God's eternal purpose in the life of man." 

1. The Little Land of Palestine. This is the name in most 
frequent use today, but it seldom occurs in the Bible. Pales- 
tine is simply a variant of Philistia, the home of the Philis- 
tines, the ancient enemy of Israel. The part of Palestine that 
is west of the Jordan was called "the land of Canaan" by the 
Israelites. Palestine was called "the land of Israel" after the 
conquest, and until the division of the kingdom, when the term 
Israel came to be applied exclusively to the northern kingdom. 
In the Middle Ages, Palestine came to be called "the Holy 
Land." (1) Its size and character. The little land of Pales- 
tine, which constitutes the southern portion of Syria in south- 
western Asia, bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, 
on the north by the ranges of Lebanon, and on the east and 
south by the Arabian Desert, is about the size of the State 
of New Hampshire. It has an area of about ten thousand 
square miles, its length being about one hundred and fifty 
miles, and its width averaging about seventy-five miles. Pales- 
tine is an epitome of the whole world, in its physical configu- 
ration, in its variety of climate, and in its diversity of plant 
and animal life. (2) Its physical divisions. Palestine is di- 
vided into four strips running north and south — the Maritime 
Plain, the Central Range, the Jordan Valley, and the Eastern 
Plateau, a. The Maritime Plain is the fertile coast strip lying 
along the Mediterranean, and is from five to twenty-five miles 
wide. It includes the plains of Esdraelon, Sharon, and Philis- 
tia. Adjoining the Philistian plain is the Shephelah, a hilly 



206 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

region of great interest and importance in the history, b. The 
Central Range is the backbone of the country. It is an almost 
continuous range of hills and mountains, broken here and there 
by cross-valleys. It includes the uplands of Galilee, the hills 
and plains of Samaria, and the lofty highlands of Judea. c. The 
Jordan Valley is the deepest gorge in the world. The Jordan 
River wanders two hundred and fifty miles to cover a direct 
distance of one hundred and thirty-five miles. Where it takes 
its rise, at the foot of Mount Hermon, it is about seven hun- 
dred feet above the level of the sea, and where it empties into 
the Dead Sea it is about one thousand three hundred feet be- 
low sea-level. The Jordan Valley is from four to fifteen miles 
wide, and varies greatly in surface, fertility, and temperature. 
d. The Eastern Plateau is from thirty to eighty miles wide, has 
a temperate climate, and is a fine grazing country. It includes 
Bashan, Gilead, Moab and Edom. (3) Its mountains and cities. 
The principal mountain peaks of Palestine are Hermon, Leb- 
anon, Tabor, Gilboa, Carmel, Ebal, Gerizim, and Olivet, rang- 
ing in height from about twenty-five hundred to ten thousand 
feet. Some of the chief cities were the following: a. Jeru- 
salem. Is located about eighteen miles west of the north 
end of the Dead Sea, and about thirty-two miles east of the 
Mediterranean, having and elevation above the sea of about 
twenty-five hundred feet. Its central position and its com- 
parative impregnability made it the important center, b. Beth- 
lehem. Is about five miles south of Jerusalem. Was the birth- 
place of Jesus, and the scene of many Bible incidents, c. Beth- 
any. Is two miles east of Jerusalem, on the southeast slope 
of the Mount of Olives, and was associated with much of 
Jesus' ministry, d. Jericho. Is about thirteen miles northeast 
of Jerusalem, and five miles from the north end of the Dead 
Sea. Is one thousand feet below the Mediterranean, and was 
the scene of many Old and New Testament incidents, e. Naza- 
reth. Is about midway between the southern end of the Lake 
of Galilee and the Mediterranean. Is beautifully located, and 
was Jesus' boyhood home. /. Capernaum. Was on the north- 
west shore of the Lake of Galilee, and was Jesus' headquarters 
during his Galilean ministries, g. Samaria. Was about thirty 
miles north of Jerusalem, half way between the Jordan and 
the Mediterranean, and played an important part in the Bible 
history. (4) Its political divisions. After the Hebrews con- 
quered Palestine, its parts received the names of the tribes. 



GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 207 

During the time of the united kingdom, the whole land was 
called Israel, and, after the division of the kingdom, the larger 
northern part took this name to itself, and the southern part 
was called Judah. In the New Testament times, there were, 
west of the Jordan, Judea in the south, Galilee in the north, 
and Samaria between, while east of the Jordan was Perea. 
South of Judea, was Idumea; north of Perea, was Decapolis; 
and, northeast of Decapolis, were Iturea and Trachonitis. 

2. The Whole Bible World. The Bible world included not 
only Palestine, but all the lands gathered about the Mediter- 
ranean and the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates, "practically all 
the important centers of early human civilization. ,, "The 
greater part of this ancient world," says Kent, "consisted of 
wastes of water, of burning sands, or of dry, rocky, pasture 
lands. Less than one-fifth was arable soil, and yet the tillable 
strips along the river valleys on the eastern and northern 
Mediterranean were extremely fertile. Here in four or five 
favorite centers were supplied in varying measure the conditions 
requisite for a strong primitive civilization." "The result was 
that the lands about the eastern Mediterranean were the scenes 
of the world's earliest culture and history." Little Palestine 
seemed to be the least important of this group of lands, and 
yet, influenced by all of them and in turn influencing all of 
them, it became the mightiest of them alL (1) Egypt, the 
land of the Nile, This is a long, narrow strip of fertile land 
made by the overflow of the Nile. The climate is almost per- 
fect. There was early developed in this valley a high state 
of culture, which, however, was deficient in depth and in 
idealism. The Egyptians were always provincial, and ceased 
to develop altogether by 500 B. C. The country was too much 
isolated from the rest of the world. (2) The Tigris-Euphrates 
Valley. "A warm but invigorating climate, fertile, alluvial soil, 
deposited by the great rivers and renewed each year by the 
floods, and the protection of the desert on the west favored 
the development of a virile civilization, as early, if not earlier, 
than that of Egypt." The people of this valley were in touch 
with the world from without, and they were spurred to effort 
and achievement by the nomadic invaders from the desert and 
the vigorous peoples from the mountains of the east and north. 
(3) Arabia. From these rich lands on the eastern slope of the 
range of mountains that runs parallel to the Red Sea, there 
came successive waves of population to beat against Palestine. 



208 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

In Arabia, there was a high type of civilization from an early 
date, but, "like that of Egypt, it lacked opportunity for ex- 
pansion and communication and so failed to rise above a cer- 
tain level or to make any deep or significant impression upon 
the other Semitic nations." (4) Asia Minor and Greece. In 
Asia Minor there was developed a "brilliant fusion of native 
elements with Semitic and Hellenic culture." Greece, with its 
small area, its not very fertile soil, and its water highway, 
rapidly developed a high state of culture, but soon reached 
the limit of its expansion, and then scattered its population 
and civilization throughout the Mediterranean world. (5) Italy. 
Italy, a land of contrasts, jutting out into the heart of the 
Mediterranean, its population a union of various peoples, ab- 
sorbing the Greek culture, and open to attacks from without, 
became in time, through necessity, the mistress of the Mediter- 
ranean, and the connecting link between the east and west, the 
ancient and modern worlds. 

3. The Roads of Bible Lands. "Next to the land itself, the 
highways of the ancient world have exerted the most powerful 
influence upon the biblical history, literature, and religion." 
The Semitic races were not good road-builders, and the fine 
Roman roads were not built until after the creation of most 
of the biblical literature. Many of the roads were nothing more 
than narrow, rough paths, over which men and camels and 
donkeys could pick their way. A few of the better roads would 
admit carts and chariots. The principal highways were the 
natural bonds between races, and they largely determined the 
flow of population and commerce and culture. (1) Egypt to 
Tigris-Euphrates Valley. It was possible to get from Egypt 
to the lower Tigris-Euphrates country without passing through 
Palestine, by way of the southern desert route, but the more 
usual route was the northern, which passed through Palestine 
and Damascus, either by way of the Maritime Plain or the 
Central Range. (2) From Egypt to Asia Minor. The main 
road from Egypt to Phoenicia and Asia Minor passed through 
the western border of Palestine, keeping close to the sea. An- 
other road branched off at Joppa, running on the eastern side 
of the plain of Sharon, past Megiddo, Mount Tabor, the north- 
western end of the Lake of Galilee, Hamath, and Aleppo. (3) 
Road along the Jordan. This road led from Jerusalem north- 
east to Jericho, and followed the western side of the Jordan 
Valley to the northwestern end of the Lake of Galilee, where 



GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 209 

it joined the roads which led to Syria and Damascus. From 
Jericho there was a branch road westward to Michmash, and 
then across southwestern Samaria. Another branch ran from 
the Jordan plain to Shechem, and then by the Barley Vale to 
the Plain of Sharon. There was a road branching westward 
across the Plain of Jezreel and eastward to Gilead. A branch 
ran southward to Heshbon, where it joined the great plateau 
road. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. In a preliminary test, in a college class in Old Tes- 
tament history and literature, one young woman declared that the 
Lake of Galilee is fifty miles long, and another maintained that it is 
only two and a half miles long. Could you have done better? Have 
you a clear idea of the size and physical features of Palestine? If 
not, stay with the map, and drill yourself upon it until you have a 
clear picture of it in your mind. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Why should the student of Bible history 
study Bible geography? (2) Discuss the various names of Palestine. 
(3) Discuss the size and character of Palestine. (4) Give the physi- 
cal divisions of Palestine. (5) Name some of the principal mountains, 
and locate some of the principal cities of Palestine. (6) Give a gen- 
eral description of the Bible world. (7) Describe at least three of the 
Bible lands. (8) Tell what you can of the roads of Bible lands. 

3. References. Kent, "The Heroes and Crises of Early Hebrew 
History," introduction, chapter 1; Kent, "Biblical Geography and His- 
tory;" Smith, "Historical Geography of the Holy Land;" Bible dic- 
tionary and maps. 



210 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER X 

EARLY RECORDS OF THE HEBREWS 

The first eleven chapters of Genesis deal with vast stretches 
of time, and answer perplexing questions concerning the begin- 
nings of things. Many modern scholars have been led to at- 
tribute to this, and the following literature, a composite au- 
thorship because of certain differences in style, in ideas of 
God, in accounts, and in aims. 

1. First Eleven Bible Chapters. We have under considera- 
tion in this chapter, the first eleven chapters of Genesis. 

(1) Literary form. Says Sanders: "In the first eleven chap- 
ters of Genesis we find a group of stories which convey the 
ideas of the Hebrew people concerning the creation of the 
world, the beginnings of human life, the conditions of primi- 
tive humanity, the origin of arts and crafts, the destruction of 
the whole human race by a flood, and repeopling of the earth, 
and the distribution of the peoples over the earth. These 
ideas for the most part they evidently inherited from their 
Semitic forefathers and adopted without serious question." 

(2) Religious character. These stories teach religion, and not 
science. "A close and thoughtful reading of the narratives, 
will show that their greatest value lies, not in their anticipa- 
tion of modern geology, or ethnology, or geography, but in 
their splendid and fundamental teachings regarding the great 
ideas at the very basis of religion. They should not be studied 
as a means of knowing the process of creation. God has enabled 
mankind to discover and develop the science of geology for 
that purpose. Nor do they, except in a symbolic way, throw 
light upon the exact method of man's creation or upon the 
origin of human occupations. God has given men the oppor- 
tunity of discovering such facts for themselves. His message 
to the world through the stories of these eleven chapters was 
a religious message." (3) Introductory value. These chapters 
form a beautiful and appropriate introduction to the Bible as 
a whole. They impressively explain the various factors at work 
in human history, "and reveal the continuing purpose of God 
in its development." There is here a unity of purpose. "God 



EARLY RECORDS OF THE HEBREWS 211 

guiding the affairs of men and fulfilling His plan through 
them, is the main religious conception of the book." In "The 
Bible as Literature," Wood and Grant say: "The stories of 
Genesis came from various sources. Some are the stories of 
local places; some are the traditions of tribes, told about 
the ancestral heroes. They had long been told orally before 
they were written down. Such popular stories soon take a 
certain literary form, usually known as the folk-tale form, 
which is marked by simplicity, directness, repetition, and often 
climax and humor. To call a story a folk-tale is not to pass 
a judgment on its historical value, but only to classify it as 
literature. Folk-stories, whether legend or history, formed the 
best material for religious teaching which an early race pos- 
sessed. The teachers of many races have so used their ancient 
tales, but none have molded them into as rich a body of re- 
ligious truth as have the writers of the early Hebrew books." 

2. Teaching of These Stories. These stories are fascinating 
in their interest and wonderfully impressive in their teaching. 
(1) God as Creator (Genesis 1, 2). Sampey calls the first 
chapter of Genesis "a great religious poem celebrating the 
glory of God as the Creator of all things," and says further 
that "students now recognize the six days of creative activity 
as standing for periods of indefinite length," and that the uni- 
verse "is possibly millions of years old." The creation stories 
may be said to teach that (a) there is a personal Creator and 
Ruler back of the universe, (b) man is God's chief work and 
concern, (c) God loves man and means well by him, (d) the 
world, and everything in it, was made for man's sake, (e) man 
and woman are essentially different, but equal, and are made 
to meet each other's deepest needs. (2) Man's sin and its 
results (Genesis 3). How true to human experience is this 
story! The story of the sin and the fall of man seems to lo- 
cate the Garden of Eden in southern Babylonia, not far from 
the head of the Persian Gulf. In two scenes, in simple story 
and dialogue, is presented the tragedy of tragedies in human 
history — the loss of a happy, natural relation with God through 
deliberate disobedience. The story teaches that (a) virtue is 
innocence tested, (b) man is responsible for his own sin, (c) 
sin is followed by punishment as a consequence, (d) sin sepa- 
rates from God, (e) man, even in his guilt and pain, is still the 
object of God's love and care. (3) Quarrel of two brothers 
(Genesis 4). The Cain and Abel story has given rise to a 



212 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

number of difficulties and speculations. Some scholars hold 
that the story is complete in itself, with no immediate and 
necessary connection with what has gone before or what comes 
after in Genesis, and they attribute to it as a background the 
settled land of Palestine, where herdsmen and farmers lived 
side by side, and where Cain would have good reason to fear 
the vengeance of Abel's tribe if deprived of the protection of 
his own tribe. The practical value of the story, however, is 
not dependent on the settlement of critical questions, and it 
may be said to teach that (a) a merely formal worship is not 
acceptable to God, (b) God regards more the spirit and charac- 
ter of the offerer than the offering itself, (c) man may be 
tempted to sin even in connection with acts of worship, (d) 
God does not violate a man's own will even to keep him from 
doing wrong, (e) sin is a disintegrating force in society, (/) 
God is more merciful than man. (4) Explanations of origins. 
It would seem that we have, in the last of the fourth, the fifth, 
the last of the ninth, and the tenth chapters of Genesis, but 
precious parts of a recovered masterpiece in which are de- 
picted in a few daring strokes by the divine artist the sugges- 
tive outlines of great men and events and truths, the main pur- 
pose being to emphasize the unity of the human race. The 
names of Seth, Enoch, Lamech, and Noah stand preeminent 
among the mighty heroes of those far-away times. It has been 
said that we have, in these ancient records, the foregleams of 
the modern sciences of history, religion, sociology, psychology, 
and anthropology. Here are interesting explanations of the 
origin of the family, of worship, of the city, of polygamy, of 
nomads, of musicians, of metal workers, of blood-revenge, of 
vine-culture, of drunkenness, of Canaanite degeneracy and 
slavery, and of the superiority of the Semites, to whom the 
Hebrews belonged. A part of the practical teaching seems 
to be that (a) excessive indulgence debases even the strongest, 
(6) outward culture will not save the immoral from slavery to 
others, (c) the pure in heart will enjoy favor with God and 
man. (5) A great flood and a fresh start (Genesis 6-9). The 
story of righteous Noah and his family, the building of the 
ark, and of the flood and its consequences, has been the center 
of much discussion among scholars. Some accept it as literal 
history, and others take it to be a figurative setting forth 
of fundamental truths. The following quotation, from "Heroes 
and Crises of Early Hebrew History," indicates the view held 



EARLY RECORDS OF THE HEBREWS 213 

by one group of scholars: "Flood stories in variant forms are 
found among most primitive peoples. The only races who do 
not have them are those living in Africa and central and 
eastern Asia. The resemblances between these different stories 
seem to be due to some local causes and psychological tendencies, 
rather than to descent from a common tradition. Often the 
original basis of the story was a great inundation or the sub- 
sidence of large areas of land. Sometimes it was suggested 
by the recurring floods of springtime. Among island and 
coastland peoples, the tradition was based on the fact that 
their ancestors came on boats over the great sea. The dis- 
covery of geological evidence that the sea had once covered 
elevated areas also fostered the growth of the tradition.' ' The 
story teaches that (a) man is free and responsible, (b) the 
consequences of sin are terrible and inevitable, (c) God's chief 
aim in creation is moral and spiritual, (d) God desires the high- 
est development and happiness for the race, (e) God is pleased 
with the worship and devotion of mankind. (6) Beginnings 
of the nations (Genesis 10, 11). In these chapters we have 
pictured the original unity of the race, the building of a city 
and a tower, Jehovah's disapproval, and the origin of the 
different races. It is thought that the background of the story 
is Babylonia, and that it was handed down to the Hebrews 
from their Aramean forefathers, who lived near and yet out- 
side of Babylonia. "Chapter ten has been called the charter 
of human unity. It asserts what no other ancient nation 
seemed to realize, the brotherhood of the human race, and God's 
interest in all mankind. In form, it seems to be an ethno- 
graphical statement. A careful study shows that it is a list 
of the nations known to the Hebrews, arranged mainly on a 
geographical principle. It omits many nations which were 
then existing in the world. But the writer was more interest- 
ed in declaring the fact of kinship than he was in writing an 
atlas." Says Kent: "The chief aim is to trace the origin of 
the different races and to indicate Israel's place in the great 
family of the nations." "All the different nations are but dif- 
ferent branches of the same great family. All men are, there- 
fore, brothers. While nothing is here said of Israel's divine 
mission to the world, the essential foundations are thus laid 
for that great prophetic doctrine which gradually dawned 
upon the race." 



214 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. "That the Biblical writer put his great religious 
ideas in this fashion bears eloquent testimony to his wisdom as a 
teacher. He used familiar forms in emphasizing- important ideas. 
The stories of Creation, of Eden, of Noah and of Shinar, which were 
in the mouths of the people, were utilized as vehicles of statements 
which declare the character, power and purposes of God, the full 
nature of man and his place in the universe, the unity of the human 
race and the other great ideas which underlie all Biblical thinking." 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Indicate the literary form, religious char- 
acter, and introductory value of the first eleven chapters of Genesis. 
(2) Indicate the teachings of the creation stories. (3) Give the teach- 
ings of the story of man's sin and its results. (4) What are the 
teachings of the story of the quarrel of the two brothers? (5) Dis- 
cuss the explanations of origins. (6) What are the teachings of the 
great flood? (7) Discuss the account of the beginnings of nations. 

3. References. Sanders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 31-50; 
Kent, "The Heroes and Crises of Early Hebrew History," sections 
1-6; Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part I, chapters 
12, 13; Bible dictionary and commentaries. 



ORIGIN OF THE HEBREWS 215 



CHAPTER XI 

ORIGIN OF THE HEBREWS 

The people who are known today as Jews were called He- 
brews or Israelites until after the exile to Babylonia in the 
sixth century before Christ. They are called Jews because 
their homeland was Judah. Hebrews was their racial name, 
and Israelites their religious name. Sometimes they called 
themselves "a chosen people." "The Hebrew people, whose 
early history is chiefly recorded in the Bible, are a very an- 
cient and a very modern people." 

1. Period of Nomadic Life. The end of the eleventh chapter 
of Genesis marks a transition from the common Semitic rec- 
ords to the stories of the forefathers of the Hebrews, and, in 
the rest of the book, the narratives are chiefly personal and 
biographical, dealing, for the most part, with Abraham, Isaac, 
Jacob, and Joseph. These are called the patriarchs, and their 
time is known as the patriarchal period. It was a period of 
tribal movements and nomadic life, with a father-ruler, or 
patriarch, as the leader of a tribe. There is much difference 
of opinion among scholars regarding the dates of this "patri- 
archal period." They are 2000 to 1600 B. C. according to 
Sampey, and 1500 to 1350 according to Kent. (1) Migration 
of Abraham (Genesis 11:10 to 25:10). A party of emigrants 
set out from Mesopotamia for Palestine, under the leadership 
of Abraham, who had migrated with his father, Terah, from 
Chaldea, and laid the foundations of the Hebrew nation. Abra- 
ham was a nomadic chief of importance, and the standards of 
honor, righteousness, and faith established by the life which 
this pioneer hero lived have been an inspiration to all the 
world. "Picture this movement as that of a large family or 
tribe of which Abraham had become the recognized head. Along 
with him were relatives, servants, flocks and all sorts of pos- 
sessions. The progress of such a group must have been very 
slow. The narrative suggests that years elapsed before Canaan 
was reached." (2) Connection with Babylonians. "When the 
Hebrews were growing into an organized people, the Baby- 
lonians were the teachers and rulers of the greater part of 



216 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Western Asia and the Egyptians were their only real rivals." 
The Hebrews "belonged to the Semitic family of nations. Other 
members of this same family were the Arabs, who continue to 
be known as a people down to the present day, and the Baby- 
lonians or Assyrians, Phoenicians and Syrians of ancient 
times. The Semites, as a race, have been distinguished by 
cleverness, insight, shrewd business qualities, capacity for man- 
agement, but above all by their religious temperament. The 
founders of three great world religions were Semites: Jesus, 
Moses and Muhammad. It was natural that, when God wished 
to adequately reveal Himself to men, He should choose as 
His mouthpiece, or agent, a Semitic people." Abraham was a 
product of the Tigris-Euphrates civilization. Long before 
Abraham, Babylonia had evolved a mighty civilization and be- 
come a conquering force throughout the Semitic world. The 
Babylonians had been preceded by the Sumerian non-Semitic 
civilization. After the Sumerians, there was the period of 
small city states, 4500-3800 B. C; the period of unification 
and expansion, 3800-2100 B. ft; the period of Babylonian su- 
premacy, 2100-1700 B. C. ; and the period of Assyrian suprem- 
acy, 1700-1100 B. C. 

2. Period of Bondage and Deliverance. This period may be 
treated as follows: (1) Probable dates. The Genesis history 
is continued in Exodus 1 to 19:2. The dates for the period 
from Joseph to Moses are 1600-1400 B. ft, according to Sam- 
pey; 1350-1200 B. ft, according to others. By those who adopt 
the later dates, it is thought that the Pharaoh of the oppres- 
sion was Eameses II, who reigned from about 1292-1225 B. C. 
This Pharaoh was "that energetic, splendor -loving, tyrannical 
king who filled all Egypt with huge statues of himself and 
memorials of his vast building enterprises.' ' (2) Egyptian 
influence. "The other prominent and powerful nation of the 
centuries which ante-dated the appearance of the Hebrew peo- 
ple was the Egyptian people. It will never be determined with 
certainty whether Egypt or Babylonia developed the earlier 
civilization. It is altogether probable that each was fairly in- 
dependent of the other. They were rivals throughout these 
early centuries. Egypt developed at a very early period a 
civilization of a very high order." The beginning of Egyptian 
nistory, 3400-2900, was closely parallel with that of Babylonia. 
Then followed, in Egypt, the fourth dynasty, 2900-2750; the 
twelfth dynasty, about 2000-1800 ; the rule of the Hyksos, about 



ORIGIN OF THE HEBREWS 217 

1650-1580; the victorious eighteenth dynasty, 1580-1350; and 
the nineteenth dynasty, 1350-1205. The Hebrews learned war- 
fare and agriculture from the Egyptians. Their suffering and 
need prepared the way for the work of Moses. (3) Divine 
teachings. In the account of Moses* early training in Egypt 
and his later training in the rocky heights with the Midianites, 
of his call to deliver the Hebrews, and of the incidents con- 
nected with the Exodus, is revealed the marvelous working of 
the divine providence. We see here that (a) apparently trivial 
incidents are important in the realizing of God's purposes, (6) 
a man may be called to a great social service through a crying 
public need, (c) opportunities lie along the ordinary paths of 
life, (d) long and thorough training is needed to prepare one 
for a great service. 

3. Period of Wandering and Training. This was the period 
that produced Moses, one of the most commanding figures of 
all time. (1) Date and records. The dates for this period are 
1400-1350 B. C., according to some; 1200-1150 B. C., according 
to others. In Exodus and Numbers we have an account of the 
revelation and covenant at Sinai, Moses' great work as judge 
and prophet, the life of the Hebrews in the wilderness, 
the attempt to enter Canaan from the south, the jour- 
ney from the wilderness, and Balaam's prophecy, the east- 
Jordan conquests, and Moses' farewell. (2) Estimate of 
Moses. Says Sanders: "The story of the life of Moses 
reveals a greatness which places him in the forefront 
of the world's heroes. Such a man as he was explains 
the remarkable development of the Hebrews from a people 
cowed by servitude and with the careless habits of nomads into 
a conquering people made irresistible by a sense of unity, aris- 
ing out of a common belief in the guidance of Jehovah. He 
accounts in part for the great divergence between the Hebrews 
and the peoples kindred to them." From an estimate of Moses 
by Kent, in "Heroes and Crises of Early Hebrew History," the 
following sentences are quoted: "Though in divine providence 
other voices and other pens determined the final form of the 
laws, they nevertheless represent Moses' message to his race in 
the midst of its new life and environment." "Moses was doubt- 
less a man of his times, subject to the limitations of the primi- 
tive age in which he lived. Yet, like every true prophet, he 
rose as a towering mountain peak above his contemporaries, 
and with inspired vision caught glimpses which made him a 



218 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

man of conviction with a message to his race." "Above all, 
he was conscious of a divine Power ruling over nature and 
the destinies of his race, of a God not only powerful but per- 
sonally interested in delivering the oppressed and in righting 
the wrongs of those who put their trust in him." (3) Training 
value. The enduring stamp put upon the Hebrews by the wil- 
derness training may be indicated as follows: (a) A certain 
sternness and asperity of character; (b) a tendency to keep 
themselves from other peoples and to regard them as hostile; 
(c) intense racial loyalty; (d) a democratic spirit of indepen- 
dence and self-reliance; and (e) loyalty to Jehovah. 

4. Period of Settlement and Conquest. This period was one 
of great importance in the making of the Hebrew nation. (1) 
Dates and records. The dates for this period are 1350-1050 
B. C, according to some; 1150-1040 B. C, according to others. 
The records of the period are found in Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 
and in 1 Samuel 1 to 7. Those who adopt the later dates think 
it probable that the Hebrews settled in Palestine about the 
middle of the "epoch-making twelfth century." "By 1150 B. C, 
Palestine," they say, "was ready to receive the race for which 
it had been preparing through the long ages." It is pointed 
out that Palestine was peculiarly open to attack at this time, 
for the reason that the armies of Egypt had been withdrawn, 
and no strong power had as yet come to the front in northern 
Syria, while at the same time the old feuds between the dif- 
ferent races in Palestine had broken out into war. (2) People 
and land. It is further held that the Hebrews took possession 
of the less fertile uplands first, in some cases through con- 
quest in war, and in other instances without battle, and that 
at no time during this period was their possession of the land 
complete, there being all around them and among them the con- 
quered Amorites, from whom they learned agriculture and the 
secrets of that higher civilization which had been developing 
for centuries in Palestine. Now for the first time the Hebrews 
became a settled people with a growing body of customs and 
institutions, and they rapidly increased in numbers and in 
civilization. It is thought that they now became acquainted 
with the improved consonantal alphabet that was to displace 
the cumbersome Babylonian system and become the language 
of the Old Testament. The age was one of heroes, of military 
dictators with religious authority — Joshua, Othniel, Ehud, 
Gideon, Jephthah, Samson and the others. (3) Divine provi- 



ORIGIN OF THE HEBREWS 219 

dence. For centuries, God had been making ready for His 
people a land where they could work out their peculiar destiny. 
The Canaanites and Amorites, whom the Hebrews found in 
Palestine were Semites, but they had been preceded by a non- 
Semitic race, the little Horites, or cave-dwellers. Different 
types of civilization had left their impress upon the land as an 
unconscious legacy to the world's religion-makers. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Note that God takes time to work out His will. 
This chapter covers a period of about five hundred years. Compare 
this with the age of your own nation, and, as you think of this making 
of God's chosen nation, note any parallels in the making of the United 
States of America. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) By what other names have the Hebrews been 
known? (2) Discuss the period of nomadic life. (3) Discuss the 
period of bondage and deliverance. (4) Discuss the period of wan- 
derings and training. (5) Give an estimate of the character of Moses. 
(6) Discuss the period of settlement and conquest. (7) Indicate how 
God had been getting Palestine ready for the Hebrews. 

3. References. Sanders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 51-162; 
Kent, "The Heroes and Crises of Early Hebrew History," sections 
7-30, and "Founders and Rulers of United Israel," sections 31-39; 
Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part I, chapters 14-17; 
Rogers, "A History of Babylonia and Assyria;" Breasted, "A History 
of the Ancient Egyptians;" Paton, "Early History of Syria and Pales- 
tine;" Bible dictionary and commentaries. 



220 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER XII 

THE UNITED KINGDOM 

Under Saul, David, and Solomon, the Hebrews attained 
their greatest power and glory as a nation. This time is known 
as that of the United Kingdom, the dates being about 1040 to 
940 B. C. "The century or more which includes the careers of 
Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon was in some respects the most 
brilliant period of Israel's life. The record of its events de- 
scribes the gradual organization of the independent groups of 
people into a real nation, mainly under the resistless leadership 
of David, and the brief glory of the empire he established." 

1. The Period of Saul. In this period may be included also 
the important work of Samuel. (1) Records of the period. The 
account of the period of Saul alone is found in chapters 8 to 31 
of First Samuel. The two books of Samuel were originally one. 
"They tell," says Sanders, "a connected story about Samuel, 
Saul and David, which concludes with I Kings 2. They repre- 
sent the finest standards of Hebrew history writing. The author 
of these books, whose name no one will ever know, was a man 
of prophetic spirit, who preached to his generation through 
these historical details. His real theme was the share of Je- 
hovah in the founding of the Kingdom. He devoutly believed in 
the Providential guidance of the whole movement, and wrote the 
history to give his countrymen a similar conviction." (2) Ene- 
mies of the Hebrews. The Philistines had been proving them- 
selves to be too strong for the Hebrews. "This strong people 
lived in the maritime plain from the days of Joshua until at least 
the sixth century B. C. They came over the sea, perhaps from 
Crete (Amos 9:7; Jer. 47:4), and were, according to the records 
of Rameses III of the twentieth dynasty, a part of the northern 
horde which nearly conquered Egypt. Five strong Philistine 
cities, each ruled by a "lord," formed a confederacy, effective for 
defense or offense. The Philistines were an enterprising, ener- 
getic people." The attacks of the warlike Philistines and the 
loss of the ark had revealed to the Hebrews their weakness and 
the imperative necessity of united action. Their tribal jeal- 
ousies had been holding them apart; but, now that their polit- 



THE UNITED KINGDOM 221 

ical, social, and religious existence was threatened, it seemed to 
them that a kingship was the solution of the problem. (3) The 
Prophet Samuel. In this great crisis there arose a great prophet 
in the person of Samuel to give direction to the new sense 
of national need. "With divine insight he grasped the needs of 
the situation and realized that the moment had arrived for the 
birth of united Israel and found the man to lead the nation. 
In so doing he won a place beside Moses, Deborah, Saul, and 
David as one of the makers of Israel." "As Samuel grew to 
manhood he seemed to win the confidence of his people. They 
recognized him as a real 'man of God.' He became somehow the 
one man in Israel who could lead the people. Thus he was 
able to render the supreme service of his life, the inauguration 
of the kingdom." (4) Saul and his work. The choice for 
king fell upon Saul, the son of Kish, a Benjamite nobleman of 
wealth and influence, who was able to bring together the rival 
factions. His tribe was comparatively insignificant, and stood 
midway between the north and the south, and so was not in- 
volved in the jealousies which separated the larger tribes. 
Saul was large of stature, strong in courage, full of enthusiasm, 
and zealously patriotic. He fused the scattered tribes into a 
fighting unit, and taught them how to win victories from their 
powerful foes. Under his leadership they put the Ammonites 
to flight and threw off the Philistine yoke. Successful war 
also was waged against other foes. Under his rule there were 
opened the highways of commerce, and there was established 
a precedent of court simplicity. Saul's impulses were noble 
and generous, but he was lacking in self-control, breadth of 
vision, and in genuine religion. His jealousy of David and his 
intemperate treatment of this rising young man are in sad 
contrast to the generous love and loyalty of his noble son, 
Jonathan. 

2. The Period of David. The period of David is described in 
Second Samuel, and in chapters 11 to 29 of First Chronicles. 
"David was thirty years old when he became king, and he 
reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven 
years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three 
years over all Israel and Judah." (1) Extension of the king- 
dom. David and his fearless and unscrupulous general, Joab, 
were more than seven years in putting an end to the partial 
rule of the jealous and incompetent son of Saul, Ishbaal, 
and his able general, Abner, who had a strong following in 



222 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

the north. As soon as David became king of all the Hebrews, 
he proceeded to subdue the Philistines. The following sen- 
tences are from Kent's "Founders and Eulers of United Israel:" 
"The capture of the strong fortress of Jebus appears to have 
followed soon after David's victory over the Philistines." "This 
fortress was so strong that it had remained in the hands of 
the Canaanite tribe, known as the Jebusites, until David sought 
a capital midway between the rival Hebrew tribes of the north 
and the south.- Jerusalem also possessed the important ad- 
vantage of being a city which belonged originally to neither the 
tribes of the north nor the south, but had been conquered by 
their united forces. It was, therefore, common ground." "Its 
retired position up among the hills of the central plateau pro- 
tected it from foreign attack." "With this capture of Jebus 
the conquest of the Canaanites was complete; in a generation 
or two the older native population was entirely absorbed by 
the Israelites." "At his new capital David established his 
simple court. He himself stood as the supreme judge and 
court of appeal of the nation." "At last a king, who was able 
not only to lead but to organize, was at the head of the con- 
federacy of tribes." "Israel had finally found its place in the 
assembly of nations." (2) Estimate of David's character. 
There is interesting material for study in the accounts of the 
internal events of David's reign, of his foreign wars and con- 
quests, of his crimes and their punishment, of the crimes of 
his sons, of Absalom's rebellion, and of Solomon's selection as 
king. David was a versatile genius, with some weaknesses and 
many excellencies. He was weak in parental control, and he 
failed to control his own passions under sudden and powerful 
temptation. On the other hand, he was courageous, chivalrous, 
generous, and patriotic. He was magnetic and tactful. He 
was great as a poet, as an executive, and as a warrior. It 
was his dominant aim to rule over the people as the representa- 
tive of Jehovah, and so as no other ruler in early Hebrew his- 
tory, he was "a man after God's own heart." "David was the 
real creator of the Israelitish nation. He took a badly disor- 
ganized people and made it into a well organized nation with 
an ample country, a central capital, a national consciousness 
and an outlook." (3) Influence of the prophets. "There is no 
mention in the records of David's reign of the prophetic broth- 
erhood at Raman, to whose protection David fled when he was 
pursued by Saul (1 Sam. 19:18-24). That it was in existence 



THE UNITED KINGDOM 223 

is indicated by the fact that similar organizations were a fea- 
ture of the life of Israel a little later on. Two prophetic leaders, 
Nathan and Gad, were close to David and highly respected by 
him. To the influence of these men of religious fervor, in- 
tellectual capacity, and keen spiritual insight, may be attrib- 
uted Israel's rapid advance in public morality and national 
idealism." 

3. The Period of Solomon. The account of Solomon's reign 
is found in chapters 1 to 11 of First Kings and in chapters 
1 to 9 of Second Chronicles. In pursuit of his policy of abso- 
lutism, Solomon relentlessly put to death all possible rivals to 
the throne, and built up a court that rivaled those of the other 
oriental monarchies of his time. He formed many marriage 
alliances with other nations. (1) Solomon's work and policies. 
Solomon was a great builder and trader. He built a temple 
and a palace in Jerusalem, and various store-cities at strategic 
military centers. He engaged in vast commercial enterprises, 
and provided himself and his nobles with the luxuries of dis- 
tant lands. Solomon possessed a native shrewdness and insight 
that was greatly prized in the Semitic east, but he was sadly 
lacking in the balance and foresight of a great statesman. He 
introduced his people to a brilliant material civilization without 
improving their condition as individuals. He absorbed the ener- 
gies of his subjects without giving them in exchange any 
material benefits. He disregarded their religious convictions, 
and trampled upon their democratic ideals and their time-hon- 
ored traditions, with the result that there began even before 
his death the disintegration of the Hebrew empire. Some 
scholars attribute the book of Proverbs to Solomon, while 
others credit him with only a small part of it, regarding the 
book as a collection of collections. (2) Estimate of Solomon's 
character. "King Solomon," says Sanders, "found Jerusalem 
a military stronghold and left it a beautiful city, imposing for 
that day. He developed the resources of his kingdom and gave 
his people a greater security than they had known before. He 
gave Israel's religion an adequate setting and opportunity by 
building the Temple: He wrought into enduring forms other 
ambitions of David. The peacefulness of his reign permitted 
him to be the patron of literature and art. His great defect 
would seem to be his overweening ambition, which fostered self- 
indulgence, lack of sympathy with his subjects and a polyga- 



224 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

mous habit of life. The promise of his early years was ex- 
changed for a folly that greatly discredits his fame." 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Compare each of these three kings with some more 
modern ruler. Compare, for instance, David with Napoleon. Read 
the records of these periods, and drill yourself on the essential facts. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give the dates, and characterize the whole 
period of the United Kingdom. (2) Characterize the records of the 
period of Samuel and Saul. (3) What led to the establishment of the 
kingdom? (4) Indicate the influence and importance of the work of 
Samuel. (5) Give an estimate of the work and character of Saul. (6) 
Discuss the period of David. (7) Discuss the period of Solomon. 

3. References. Sanders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 163- 
225; Kent, "Founders and Rulers of United Israel." sections 40-60; 
Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part I, chapters 17, 18; 
Wade, "Old Testament History;" Smith, "Jerusalem from the Earliest 
Times;" Driver, "An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testa- 
ment;" Bible dictionary and commentaries. 



DIVISION AND DISSOLUTION 225 



CHAPTER XIII 

DIVISION AND DISSOLUTION 

The records of the three hundred and fifty-four years of 
division and dissolution, from about 940 to 586 B. C, are 
found in 1 Kings 12 to 2 Kings 25, and in Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, 
and Micah. The southern kingdom, including Judah and parts 
of two or three other tribes, is known as Judah, while the 
northern kingdom, including the remainder of the tribes, is 
known as Israel. 

1. History of the Northern Kingdom. Israel continued for a 
period of two hundred and nineteen years, until 721 B. C, 
when the kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians under Sar- 
gon, who carried many of the inhabitants into captivity. There 
were nine dynasties of kings. The capital was Shechem, and 
then Tirzah, and later Samaria. (1) Causes of disruption. 
"The two outstanding causes of the revolt of the northern 
tribesmen against Rehoboam were their growing discontent 
over the drain of men and money needed to execute Solomon's 
ambitious projects and the amazing short-sightedness of the 
young king. But back of these immediate incitements were 
several important contributing causes." The smoldering dis- 
content under Solomon's oppressive rule burst into flame un- 
der his son, Rehoboam, who was unequal to a great crisis, but 
the underlying causes of the division into two kingdoms were 
more fundamental. There were long-smoldering jealousies and 
essential differences. Each of the two groups of tribes had 
fought its own battles, conquered its own territory, and pro- 
duced its own distinct type of life and civilization. The di- 
vision largely undid the work of Saul and David, and ultimate- 
ly meant political ruin and exile for both the north and the 
south. "The outcome of the successful revolt was a division 
of the strong, self-protecting kingdom of Solomon into two 
little monarchies, but slightly superior in power to those round 
about." (2) Principal kings and prophets. Some of the prin- 
cipal kings of the northern kingdom were Jeroboam I, Baasha, 
Omri, Ahab, Jehu, Jehoash, and Jeroboam II. The prophet 
Elijah did a great work as a religious and social reformer, 



226 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

and was succeeded by Elisha. Through Elijah's experiences, 
according to Sampey, God taught lessons of humility, courage, 
gentleness, patience, perseverance, and hopefulness. Elijah, 
says Kent, was "the forerunner of the great social reformers 
of succeeding generations, who defined religion not merely in 
terms of belief and ritual, but also in terms of justice and 
mercy." In the latter part of the period, the prophets Amos 
and Hosea proclaimed the insufficiency of formalism and the 
necessity of spirituality, emphasized the primacy of a good life 
in religion, and taught an "exalted ethical spiritual monothe- 
ism. n They sought in vain to stay the process of degeneration 
in Israel. The Canaanite influence was too strong, the life of 
the people was too much debased, and there was lack of re- 
sponsible and patriotic leaders. So Israel ceased to be as a 
nation; but its more than two centuries of existence had not 
been altogether in vain, for its experiences called forth the 
four great prophets, whose example and teachings constitute 
a rich spiritual heritage which has become the possession and 
inspiration of the human race. 

2. Judah in the Assyrian Period. This period in the south- 
ern kingdom was parallel with the history of the northern 
kingdom, and extended some years beyond it. It may be sub- 
divided into five periods. (1) Rehoboam to Ahaziah. The first 
two centuries of Judah's history after Solomon were uneventful 
compared with that of Israel. The reason may be found in 
the fact that Judah was shut in on every side by natural and 
political barriers, and by the further fact that Solomon's tem- 
ple and the royal priesthood exerted a strong conservative in- 
fluence. There was no great crisis and no great prophet. Much 
of the history of this period is occupied mainly with the re- 
ligious reforms of Asa and the diplomacy of Jehoshaphat. Ac- 
cording to Kent: "It was probably soon after the priestly re- 
formation in the days of Jehoash that a group of Judean 
prophets collected and combined those early traditions of their 
race, which are now found in the early historical books of the 
Old Testament.' ' (2) Uzziah and Isaiah. Under the able and 
energetic rule of Uzziah, who was contemporary with Jeroboam 
II in the northern kingdom, there was national expansion and 
prosperity. The new contact with the outside world, the adop- 
tion of new fashions and ideas, and the growing luxury among 
the ruling class, produced much the same political and social 
conditions in the south as in the north. There was internal 



DIVISION AND DISSOLUTION 227 

weakness and outside danger. The Assyrians under Tiglath- 
pileser IV were gathering in the nations of the western world, 
and they were likely to attack Judah at any time. On the 
death of King Uzziah of leprosy about 738 B. C, the brilliant, 
cultured young noble, Isaiah, heard the call of God to be a 
prophet and to arouse the nation to prepare to meet an im- 
pending crisis. His remarkable ministry extended over a period 
of more than forty years. Isaiah was a great reformer and 
theologian, and is recognized today as Judah's greatest states- 
man. He was ably seconded by the prophet Micah. These 
prophets represent religion as universal as well as national, and 
define it as a way of doing and living rather than a form of 
worshiping and believing. (3) Reaction under Manasseh. Fol- 
lowing Ahaz and Hezekiah came the long reign of the wicked 
Manasseh, whose policy really determined the fate of the na- 
tion. He promoted Baal-worship and hastened the national de- 
terioration. Here is placed the stirring prophecy of Nahum, 
which is a song of triumph over the approaching fall of Nine- 
veh, Judah's ancient foe. The calamity is pictured as a divine 
retribution. 

3. Last Half Century of Judah's History. The reign of the 
good king, Josiah, was a calm between two great waves of for- 
eign invasion. Its beginning, about 639 B. C, marked the pass- 
ing of the Assyrian power; and its close, about 608 B. C, 
marked the appearance of the new Chaldean power. The pro- 
phetic work of Zephaniah prepared the way for the great re- 
formation under Josiah, who reversed the policy of his imme- 
diate predecessors, overthrowing the old heathenism and mak- 
ing effective the teachings of the great prophets of the As- 
syrian period. Jeremiah also, who entered upon his prophetic 
work about 625 B. C, was an important factor in these re- 
forms. Jehoahaz succeeded Josiah as king for a few months. 
Then, from 608 to 605 B. C, the Egyptians ruled over Judah, 
placing upon the throne a wicked and selfish son of Josiah, 
Jehoiakim, who reversed his father's policy and brought his 
nation to moral and political ruin. Jeremiah's voice was raised 
in futile protest. In 605 were spoken the prophecies of Habak- 
kuk. The first captivity under Nebuchadrezzar, in 597 B. C, 
resulted in the placing of Zedekiah over those left in Judah, 
and his reign lasted until the final captivity and destruction 
of Jerusalem in 586 B. C. During the reign of Zedekiah, Eze- 
kiel began his prophetic work, and Jeremiah continued his pun- 



228 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

gent teaching. Jeremiah gave to the race "that conception of 
religion, as a personal, spiritual relation between God and man, 
which is the foundation of Christianity and of all true faith. M 
Jeremiah's type of teaching is always in place in the Sunday- 
school. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Sanders: "The significance of the work of Amos, 
Hosea, Isaiah and Micah and thus of the half century during" which 
they labored is not easily overstated. Each contributed in his own 
way his peculiar share toward a revolutionizing of the religious ideals 
of the age." "Four great ideas underlie the spiritual religion of the 
Old Testament: (1) Jehovah the holy, just, loving Ruler of the world: 

(2) man in loving fellowship with Him: (3) the moral and spiritual 
demands of this relationship, and (4) the future Kingdom exhibiting 
true social righteousness. These prophets made great progress toward 
the expression of these ideas. Ethically they left little to be said, but 
they were strongly nationalistic. Jehovah's presence and the benefits 
of worship were confined to His land and people and abiding-place. 
The real missionary idea had not yet taken hold of the Hebrew mind. 
Again they looked at the future in terms of a new nation which would 
live in Palestine. It also took another century to establish the prin- 
ciple of personal responsibility," 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Name the dates and records for the period of 
division and dissolution. (2) Indicate the causes of the disruption. 

(3) Name the principal kings and prophets of the northern kingdom. 

(4) Indicate the value of the work of Amos and Hosea. (5) Char- 
acterize the first two centuries of Judah's history. (6) Give an esti- 
mate of the work of Uzziah and Isaiah. (7) Indicate the nature of 
the reaction under Manasseh. (8) Characterize the last half century 
of Judah's history. 

3. References. Sanders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 226- 
370; Kent, "The Kings and Prophets of Israel and Judah:" Wood and 
Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part I, chapters 1-8: Fowler, "The 
Prophets as Statesmen and Preachers;" Budde. "Pweligion of Israel to 
the Exile:" Bible dictionary and commentaries. 



EARLY JEWISH PERIOD 229 



CHAPTER XIV 

EARLY JEWISH PERIOD 

The destruction of Jerusalem resulted in a mighty transfor- 
mation of the life and thought of the chosen race. It marked 
the overthrow of the old Hebrew kingdoms and the gradual 
rise of that new and important factor in human history known 
as Judaism. The four hundred and eighteen years, from 586 
to 168 B. C, have been designated as the early Jewish period. 

1. The Babylonian Age. The first forty-eight years of the 
early Jewish period, from 586 to 538 B. C, are known as the 
age of the Babylonian exile. (1) Jews in Palestine. When 
Jerusalem was taken, in 586 B. C, the temple and the royal 
palace were burned to the ground and the city walls were 
broken down. The leaders of the conquered nation were put 
to death, some thousands of the people were deported, and 
Gedaliah was appointed governor of what was left of Judah. 
Though comparatively helpless, subject to the persecutions of 
their enemies round about, these people of the land at the same 
time became important factors later in the re-establishment 
of the Judean community. (2) Jews in Egypt. Many of the 
Jews had fled from Palestine before the Chaldean armies, and 
had found refuge in Egypt. There were now more exiles in 
Egypt probably than in Babylonia. These exile Jews were 
strongly influenced by their new surroundings. At first they 
were farmers, but later became tradesmen. Some of them 
adopted the religion of the strange land. (3) Jews in Baby- 
lonia. In Babylonia, as in Egypt, the Jews were allowed a 
great deal of freedom. To a considerable extent they lived 
their own lives apart, so long as they paid the imperial tax 
and refrained from open violence. Here, as in Egypt, they 
were transformed gradually from farmers into tradesmen. As 
to religion, despite strong temptations, many of them remained 
faithful to Jehovah, but gradually spirituality was displaced by 
an elaborate ceremonialism. Prayer and fasting and Sabbath 
observance took the place of the ancient feasts and sacrifices. 
To this period probably must be referred the genesis of the 
later synagogue and its service. (4) Ezekiel and others. The 



230 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

biblical sources of information for this period are the writings 
of Ezekiel and Jeremiah and the book of Lamentations — also, 
according to some, the little book of Obadiah, which voiced 
the national condemnation of Edom's attitude at the time of 
the captivity. The noble patriot and prophet, Jeremiah, brought 
his splendid work to a close in this period, dying probably the 
death of a martyr at the hands of his own countrymen in the 
land of Egypt. The tragic poems found in Lamentations throw 
light upon the horrors of the final capture of Jerusalem and 
upon the fate of those who survived. They express the feel- 
ings of the survivors, and contain for them exhortations and 
encouragement. Ezekiel was preeminently the prophet of the 
exile. He was particularly the pastor of the Jews in Baby- 
lonia, and generally the teacher of all the Jews of the dis- 
persion. (5) Jews become literary. Some scholars have point- 
ed out that the exile transformed the Jews into a literary peo- 
ple. The desire to communicate with distant relatives and 
friends, they say, "inevitably developed the literary art." "The 
exiles in Babylonia and Egypt were also in close contact with 
the two most active literary peoples of the ancient world." The 
teachers of the race too, as in the case of Ezekiel, felt forced 
to resort to the pen and to do most of their teaching by cor- 
respondence. "The incentives," says Kent, "to collect the 
earlier writings of the priests and prophets were also exceed- 
ingly strong, for the experiences and institutions of their past, 
together with their hopes for the future, were the two main 
forces that now held together the Jewish race." (6) Spiritual 
development. "The exile seemed to the Hebrews in far-off 
Babylonia and Egypt a grievous punishment for the sins of 
their race. But it was far more than a retribution. God 
made it a wonderful opportunity. Through its experiences 
and necessary adjustments the Hebrew people became true 
Israelites, a people whose particular genius found expression 
in religious advancement. Cut off from national interests, even 
after they were permitted to found a community at Jerusalem, 
they turned their energies to matters of religion. While the 
dominant religious interests were those of organization and of 
literary coordination and codification, there were always, as in 
earlier days, great original souls, who dwelt on the religious 
and moral issues of the day and interpreted them in terms of 
the divine character and purpose." 



EARLY JEWISH PERIOD 231 

2. Persian and Greek Ages. The Persian age lasted two 
hundred and six years, from 538 to 332 B. C. The Bible his- 
tory of this period is found in Ezra and Nehemiah. The Greek 
age lasted one hundred and thirty-four years, from 332 to 168 
B. C. (1) Rebuilding of temple. Under the mild rule of Cyrus 
and his two successors, the Jews had the privilege of return- 
ing to Palestine. Cambyses was succeeded, in 521 B. C., by 
Darius, who found it necessary to spend two years in quelling 
revolts. It was during this time, it is thought, that Haggai 
made his stirring appeal to the members of the Judean com- 
munity to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The 
world-movements seemed to give promise to the Jews of de- 
liverance from Persian rule and of opportunity to realize their 
national hopes. Within a year the work of rebuilding the 
temple was begun, and Zechariah's messages of encouragement 
spurred the people on to its completion in 516 B. C. (2) Sev- 
enty years of silence. The silence of the biblical historians 
with reference to the years from 516 to 445 has led to much 
discussion among scholars. The new temple became a rally- 
ing-place, and made possible the development of ritual and laws. 
Unprotected by walls, harassed by hostile neighbors, disappoint- 
ed in their hopes, some of the people probably came to under- 
stand their true spiritual mission in the world. At least, so 
it is thought by those scholars who place here Isaiah 40 to 66 y 
Job, and Malachi. (3) Rebuilding of walls. Regarding the 
last century of the Persian age, 445 to 332, there is also much 
variance of opinion among scholars. The city walls were re- 
stored under the leadership of Nehemiah, and some regard it 
as the time of the establishment of the priestly law. Some 
place Joel here, and others think he belongs to the latter part 
of the ninth century. Some consider that Psalms 3 to 41 con- 
stitute the temple hymnal used in the reform worship of Nehe- 
miah and Ezra. Toward the latter part of this century oc- 
curred probably the schism between Jews and Samaritans. (4) 
Influence of Greek age. This lasted one hundred and thirty- 
four years, from 332 to 168 B. C. During this time there were 
probably more Jews in Egypt than in Palestine, and in time 
they became wealthy and powerful. In the new city, Alexan- 
dria, there was a Jewish quarter. The Jews in Palestine were 
m turn victimized and courted by the rival kings of Egypt and 
Syria. In 311 the Seleucids conquered Palestine and estab- 
lished their capital at Antioch, and their corrupt court exerted 



232 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

a bad influence upon the Jewish rulers. Some scholars place 
in this period the composition of some of the Proverbs and 
Psalms, and the books of Jonah and Ecclesiastes, while others 
place them back in the tenth, ninth, eighth, and seventh cen- 
turies. (5) Significance of Judaism. Judaism as a social and 
religious corporate unity was firmly established about 400 B. C. 
It put the priesthood in control, prescribed numerous and com- 
plicated duties, and formalized religion. "Judaism," says Sand- 
ers, "was far from being an ideal religious system. It was a 
lowering of the noble standards of the great prophetic think- 
ers. It tended to place the form before the reality, the act for 
the religious feeling behind it. Jesus had to condemn without 
reserve Pharisaism, its extreme one-sided development. But 
Judaism kept alive and protected a very vital and real re- 
ligious spirit. Such personalities as Zechariah, Elizabeth, 
Simeon, Anna, and Mary were not abnormal but the truest 
representatives of the strong heart of Israel, which beat be- 
neath the shell of Judaism." 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Compare the early Jewish period with the Eliza- 
bethan age in English history. Or compare it with some period in 
American history. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give the limits and general character of the 
early Jewish period. (2) Give the dates for the Babylonian age. (3) 
Indicate the condition of the Jews in Palestine, in Egypt, and in Baby- 
lonia. (4) Indicate the importance of the work of Ezekiel and others. 
(5) Indicate the nature of the literary and religious development of 
the Jews after the fall of Jerusalem. (6) Give the dates of the Per- 
sian and Greek ages. (7) Give some account of the rebuilding of the 
Temple. (8) Discuss the seventy years of silence, and the rebuilding 
of the walls of Jerusalem. (9) Indicate the character of the Greek 
age. (10) Indicate the character and significance of Judaism. 

3. References. Sanders, "History of the Hebrews," sections 371- 
477; Kent, "The Makers and Teachers of Judaism," sections 91-107; 
Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part I, chapters 9-11, 
22-28; Bevan, "Jerusalem Under the High Priests;" Torrey, "Ezra 
Studies;" Bible dictionary and commentaries. 



LATER JEWISH HISTORY 233 



CHAPTER XV 

LATER JEWISH HISTORY 

The later Jewish period of more than three hundred years 
extends from 168 B. C. to A. D. 135, and includes the Maccabean 
and Roman ages. The whole period from about 400 to 135 
A. D. has been characterized as the "age of fixed convictions." 
Says Sanders: "With the real establishment of Judaism as a 
religious system, it seemed to exhaust the creative impulse of 
the race. There seemed nothing more to know about God or 
humanity, obligation or opportunity. These great matters had 
been given a development beyond which the Hebrew mind did 
not feel the need of going. It felt that it had received a per- 
fect revelation. The task remaining was to interpret and apply 
that revelation to the needs both of the Jewish people and of 
humankind/ ' "Within these centuries Judaism received a test- 
ing which was indeed a baptism of fire." 

1. The Maccabean Age. This lasted from 168 to 63 B. C. 
The history is found in the Maccabees and in Josephus. (1) 
Causes of the Maccabean struggle. With the conquest of Pal- 
estine by Alexander, in 332 B. C, there had begun the great 
battle between two ideas in the history of the world, the con- 
flict between Hellenism and Judaism, between the culture of 
the Greeks and the faith and traditions of the Jews. Hellenism 
was of the city, and Judaism was of the country; the one was 
characterized by splendor, and the other was comparatively 
crude; the one was brilliant, and the other was homely. "Hel- 
lenism protested against the narrowness, barrenness, and intol- 
erance of Judaism; Judaism protested against the godlessness 
and immorality of Hellenism. Both were right in their pro- 
tests, and yet each in a sense needed the other." At the be- 
ginning of the second century the Judean state was encircled 
by a ring of Hellenic cities and Hellenic seductions, and it be- 
gan to look as if the entire Jewish race was to be Hellenized. 
But matters were brought to a crisis by the flagrant apostasy 
of certain prominent Jews in Jerusalem under the leadership 
of Jeshua and the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, one 
of the Seleucids. (2) The Maccabean revolt. When Antiochus 



234 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Epiphanes sought by force to compel the Jews to abandon al- 
together their worship and adopt the Greek religion, "the long- 
suppressed, hot indignation of the Jewish race at last found 
expression" in the aged priest, Mattathias and his five splen- 
did sons, who led in a successful revolt against the cruel tyr- 
anny. The nation had never produced braver men or better 
fighters. They defeated the Syrian armies, and succeeded in 
restoring the temple service. The long contest was continued 
under Judas Maccabeus, and the Jews finally won, partly 
through diplomacy, their political freedom, thus accomplishing 
the seemingly impossible. Judaism had reawakened, and a 
new national spirit was born. The reign of Simon, the wisest 
of the five famous brothers, was one of comparative peace and 
prosperity. (3) Rival parties. After the five Maccabees were 
gone, there was no leader strong enough to hold the Jews to- 
gether, and the nation became a house divided against itself. 
Rival parties and internal dissensions ended in national dis- 
aster and subjection to Rome. This period witnessed the birth 
of the great parties known as Pharisees, Sadducees, and Es- 
senes. The Pharisees at first were a religious party, and later 
became also a political party. They were democratic, conserva- 
tive, sectarian, doctrinal. They were opposed to the struggle 
for political independence and national expansion. The Sad- 
ducees were aristocratic, progressive, liberal, practical. They 
rallied about the Maccabean leaders with their wealth and in- 
fluence. (4) Influence of the Essenes. "The Essenes," says 
Sanders, "were a sect rather than a party. They sought purity 
and goodness, but represented an extreme Pharisaism in their 
methods of attainment. They were ascetics who lived apart 
from social or civil life in communities. Their life was simple, 
devout and orderly, that of a monastic brotherhood. They had 
neither the fierce pride of the Pharisee nor the scornful skep- 
ticism of the Sadducee. They delighted in ministering to the 
humble, poor and feeble. John the Baptist may have spent his 
early years with them. There never were more than four 
thousand of the Essenes. The whole movement blended into 
monasticism. ,, 

2. The Roman Age. Palestine was under Roman rule from 
63 B. C. to 135 A. D. (1) Pompey. In 63 B. C. the appeal made 
to Pompey by rival claimants for the Jewish throne served him 
as a pretext for seizing Palestine for Rome. Survivors of the 
Maccabean house sought to recover their kingdom, but the re- 



LATER JEWISH HISTORY 235 

bellion was suppressed. (2) Herod. In 37 B. C, after many 
up and downs under Antipater, the Jews in Palestine came un- 
der the rule of Herod, who was a merciless tyrant, but a strong 
ruler. He burdened the people with taxes, but he gave them 
peace and an honorable place among the nations. He was a 
great builder. He transformed the city of Samaria into a 
magnificent Graeco-Roman city. He did much building in other 
cities, and fortified a number of natural strongholds. He erect- 
ed a great temple at Jerusalem. The Jews again devoted them- 
selves to religion, and hoped for the coming of Him who should 
realize the ideals of Israel's great prophets. (3) Tetrarchs. In 
4 B. C, on the death of Herod the Great, Palestine was dis- 
membered. Herod's son, Archelaus, became tetrarch of Judea, 
Samaria, and Idumea. After enduring ten years of tactless 
tyranny, the Jews sent a deputation of their leading men to 
Rome, and succeeded in having Archelaus banished. Herod 
Antipas became tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, and ruled until 
37 A. D.; Herod Philip ruled over the territory east of the 
upper Jordan. (4) Procurators. In 6 A. D. Judea was placed 
under the immediate direction of the emperor, and was ruled 
by a procurator of equestrian rank. The procurator main- 
tained order, directed the collection of taxes, and decided the 
more important legal questions. Local customs and institutions 
were respected, and the Jews themselves were allowed to ad- 
minister their civil and ceremonial laws, their supreme court 
being the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem. The infliction of capital 
punishment was reserved to the procurator. The office of 
procurator was held by Pontius Pilate from 26 to 36 A. D. 
(5) Titus. Acting under appointment by his father, Vespasian, 
the Roman emperor, Titus, quelled a revolt among the Jews, 
leaving beautiful Jerusalem and the stately Temple in ruins, 
in 70 A. D. "Jamnia on the western side of the Philistian 
plain near Ashdod became a rabbinical center. A sort of high 
court or Sanhedrin was organized there, whose decisions be- 
came authoritative for Judaism everywhere." (6) Jesus. In 
4 B. C., just before the death of Herod the Great, Jesus was 
born in Bethlehem of Judea, and his public ministry covered 
the years 27-30 A. D. He was destined to become the real 
power in the Roman world, and then in all the world, not by 
force of arms, but by force of life. Rome had made ready for 
him, and he was now to give to Rome what she most needed. 
Rome had attained the practical unification of the civilized 



236 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

wor ld and the universal <«»*%?£& ifZ^l 3 
she needed a new rehgion and a new stanaa ceremonial , „ a - 
this need could not he met by the austere ^^ty. 

tional Judaism. The need could he met only oy 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

, lllustrat «o„. ^^^^SS^^^^iSPS- 

history to the world and of the «W«^o ma(Je relig ; 

Frank Knight Sanders s *r 8 ** * 18 . n 7^ an ent conception of God 
a great reality, developed the true ana P conception of the 

as a moral personality f^^ toTanklnd a task which sat- 
^^JffiS^S^S-* and embodied the, .deals 
in literary masterpieces. 

, Le sson Tests. (X) ^^%^^t^S^£ ^the 
character, of the later J^ (8 f ™t at e the causes of the Macca- 
Maccabean and Roman age s (8 > J?"^ 8 ^ results of the Maccabean 
bean struggle. (4) Indicate the n f ur ^f arose a fter the days of the 
revolt. (5) Describe the rival parUes ^that y and Qf ^ 

Maccabees. («>*»*«*« ^^ Palestine under the tetrwche and 
with Jewish history. ™£™™ Rome had made ready for Jesus, 
the procurators. (8) Indicate Hebrews ," sections 478- 

3 References. Sanders. "History of the ^^ect 1<m8 10 8-120; 
534- Kent. "Makers -d J-^Iment SK Palestine;" Conder, 

M -r M actaS:r^ 

^Tt^.EEZZJT'**- Bible dictionary and 
commentaries. 



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The Llttlefteld Journej Maps 

Copyright 1910, by Wm. "Walter Smith 

Published for N.Y. Sunday School Commission Inc. 



No. 1. The Thirty Years of Private Life. 



JESUS AND THE GOSPELS 237 



CHAPTER XVI 

JESUS AND THE GOSPELS 

Much may be learned of Jesus and His teachings from Roman 
historians, from Josephus and other Jewish writers, from evi- 
dence found in the Catacombs, from the uncanonical and apoc- 
ryphal Gospels, from the writings of the church Fathers, from 
the Acts and the Revelation, and from Paul's Epistles, but 
the chief sources are the four Gospels. 

1. The Four Gospel Records. The four Gospels have been 
variously dated. One view gives the following as the approxi- 
mate dates of composition: Mark, about A. D. 70; Matthew, 
about A. D. 75; Luke, about A. D. 85; and John, about A. D. 95. 
Others assign earlier dates. Some hold that there were earlier 
written sources back of these Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and 
Luke are called the synoptics, "seen together," because they 
have many characteristics in common. (1) Mark. Written 
as a guide-book for the use of the early Christians. "The most 
vivid of all the Gospels." Portrays Jesus' activity and human- 
ity. Presents him as healer and friend. In its general order 
it is chronological and geographical. "The brevity of Mark's 
introduction reveals his purpose. His interest centered in the 
active work of Jesus rather than in his childhood and in the 
experiences that led up to his public activity." Outline : Intro- 
duction, 1:1-13; a. Work in Galilee, 1:14-7:23; b. Retirement 
with disciples, 7:24-10:52; c. Closing scenes at Jerusalem, 
11:1-16:8; Epilogue, 16:9-20. (2) Matthew. Written to 
prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah, and is a practical 
manual of Christian faith and conduct. Portrays Jesus as the 
great Teacher, and gives His teachings the central place, with 
enough of narrative for an effective setting. The order is 
logical rather than chronological. The atmosphere is Jewish. 
"The most important book ever written." It was the most 
popular and influential of the Gospels among the early Chris- 
tians. Outline: Introduction, 1:1-4:17; a. Ministry in Galilee, 
4:18-13:58; b. Crisis and rejection in Galilee, 14-18; c. In Perea 
and Jerusalem, 19-25; d. Passion and resurrection, 26-28. (3) 
Luke. Written to give a complete and systematic picture of both 



238 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

the life and teachings of Jesus that religion may be promoted. 
Gives prominence to women and children, emphasizes forgive- 
ness and faith, and magnifies Jesus' love for the poor and 
needy, and sets forth the universality of the gospel. Excels in 
style. "The most beautiful book ever written." The aim of 
this gospel was, in a true sense, historical, "but in common 
with all the gospels it was primarily religious and practical." 
Outline: Introduction, 1-3; a. Beginnings of Jesus' ministry, 
4-6; b. The Galilean ministry, 7-9:50; c. Journey to Jerusalem, 
9:51-19:27; d. Work in Jerusalem, 19:28-21:38; e. Passion and 
resurrection, 22-24. (4) John. Written to reveal the soul of 
Jesus and to set forth true views respecting his character and 
work. It is the simplest in style, and the profoundest in 
thought. It is a masterly argument for Jesus' divinity. "The 
tone of the Gospel is richly spiritual." Mark is the evangelistic 
Gospel, Matthew the teaching Gospel, Luke the social Gospel, 
and John the doctrinal Gospel. Each of the Gospels supple- 
ments the others in giving us a true impression of the real 
Jesus. Outline of John: Introduction, 1:1-18; a. Work in Gali- 
lee, Judea, and Samaria, 1:19-6:71; b. Work in Judea and 
Perea, 7-12; c. Final scenes at Jerusalem, 13-20; Appendix, 21. 

2. Outline of Gospel Events. It is possible to give here, in 
the order of time, only a very brief outline of the gospel events 
as arranged by the harmonists. (1) Jesus' early life and work. 
Birth, boyhood, baptism, and temptation, relation to John the 
Baptist, first disciples, first miracle, first cleansing of the 
temple, first teaching in Judea, discourse with Nicodemus in 
Jerusalem and with the woman of Samaria. Places: Nazareth, 
Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Egypt, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Jordan, 
Cana, Jerusalem, /Enon, Sychar, and Capernaum. (2) Jesus' 
Galilean ministry. Healing of nobleman's son, rejection at 
Nazareth, call of disciples, day of miracles in Capernaum, heal- 
ing of paralytic, choosing of the Twelve, Teaching on the Hill, 
raising of the widow's son, a day of teaching by the Lake of 
Galilee, a day of miracles, feeding of five thousand, and crisis 
at Capernaum. Places: Capernaum, Cana, Nazareth, various 
places in Galilee, Jerusalem, Capernaum, Nain, Lake of Galilee, 
various places in Galilee, Bethsaida, Capernaum. (3) Ministry 
in retirements. Trip through Phoenicia and Decapolis, miracles 
and teachings on Lake of Galilee, a journey into the north, the 
transfiguration, teaching in Capernaum, visit to Jerusalem. 
Places: Tyre and Sidon, Decapolis, Lake of Galilee, Bethsaida, 



JESUS AND THE GOSPELS 239 

Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, Jerusalem, Capernaum. (4) 
The Perean ministry. Departure from Galilee, mission of the 
Seventy, visit to Mary and Martha, discourses with his oppo- 
nents, raising of Lazarus, withdrawal to Ephraim, blessing 
little children, rich young ruler, visit to Zacchaeus, anointing 
by Mary of Bethany. Places: Galilee, Perea, Bethany, Jeru- 
salem, Bethany, Ephraim, Samaria, Perea, Jericho, and 
Bethany. (5) Last week and forty days. Triumphal entry, 
cursing the fig tree, second cleansing of temple, discussions 
with Jewish rulers, Last Supper, betrayal and arrest, trials, 
crucifixion, resurrection, appearances. Places : Jerusalem, 
Bethany, Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Golgotha, Judea, and Galilee. 

3. Jesus' Fundamental Teachings. Some of the fundamental 
teachings of Jesus may be summed up as follows: (1) God 
is a personal, spiritual, immanent, loving Father, interested 
in all men everywhere, ready to forgive sins and answer 
prayers; (2) man's attitude toward God is fundamental in 
religion, and he needs to come into vital, constant touch with 
the heavenly Father; (3) true prayer embodies reverence, hu- 
mility, loyalty, trust, contrition for sin, gratitude, a sense of 
need, and faith; (4) the kingdom of God is the rule of God 
in the hearts of men, and is entered through a surrender of 
the human will to the divine will; (5) he who is in the king- 
dom of God must devote his abilities and possessions to the 
seiwice of God and humanity; (6) love for others is an active 
principle that respects and forgives and honors and helps; (7) 
Christianity is social as well as individual, and involves cooper- 
ation with others for the uplift of the community and the state 
and the nation and the world; (8) the reward of faithful 
Christian service is abiding happiness here and hereafter. 

4. Jesus as Savior. The following sentences are quoted from 
"The Life and Teachings of Jesus," by Dr. Charles Foster 
Kent: "From what does man need to be saved? This ques- 
tion must be answered today, not in the light of metaphysics 
or abstract theology, but of physiology, psychology, political 
science, economics, and sociology. Man needs to be saved, in 
the first place, from the dominance of the baser animal in- 
stincts, from childish impulses which he has not outgrown, 
and from overdeveloped or misdirected egoism. He needs to 
be saved from ignorance of himself, of his relation to his fel- 
low-men and to his larger environment which we call God. He 



240 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

must be saved from worry and fear, which undermine his physi- 
cal, mental, and moral vigor, and from low ideals that thwart 
the development of the perfect man. He needs deliverance from 
the palsying effects of past mistakes and sins." "This is pre- 
cisely what Jesus did for the needy men and women who gath- 
ered about Him during His work in Galilee. And what He did 
for them then He is able to do for men today, for the needs 
and the processes of salvation are eternally the same. He was 
able to perform His saving work because He Himself had felt 
many of the same needs and had found the only way of satis- 
fying them. No teacher of the past was more awake to the 
weakness of human nature than Jesus; but He also saw and 
proclaimed clearly its divine possibilities. He saw that those 
possibilities could be realized only as each individual was 
brought into normal, living touch with the heavenly Father." 
"Jesus meets men on the common level of universal human ex- 
perience, and, having won their confidence, he introduces them 
not to a metaphysical God, but to a heavenly Father whose 
heart throbs with solicitude and love for his earthly children." 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Read the Gospels through rapidly, in "The Twen- 
tieth Century New Testament" or in Moffatt's "A New Translation 
of the New Testament." Drill yourself on the outline of the Gospels, 
and on the chronological outline of their events, until you are per- 
fectly familiar with them, and are able to locate readily any recorded 
event in the life of Jesus, either in the Gospel or in the period of the 
ministry. Drill yourself in finding, on the map, the places mentioned 
in the Gospels. Then draw an outline map, indicating these places. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give approximate dates of the writing of the 
Gospels. (2) Characterize each of the four Gospels, and compare them 
with one another. (3) Give brief outline of each of the four Gospel 
accounts. (4) Name in order the chief events in Jesus' early life and 
work. (5) Name in order the chief events in the Galilean ministry. 
(6) Name in order the chief events of the ministry in retirements. (7) 
Name in order the chief events in the Perean ministry. (8) Name in 
order the chief events of the last week and forty days. (9) Discuss 
some of the fundamental teachings of Jesus. (10) What can you say 
of Jesus as Savior? 

3. References. Kent, "The Life and Teachings of Jesus;" Wood 
and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part II, chapters 1-7; Moffatt, 
"A New Translation of the New Testament" and "Introduction to 
the Literature of the New Testament;" Stevens and Burton, "Har- 
mony of the Gospels;" Watson, "Life of Jesus;" Robertson, "Epochs 
in the Life of Jesus;" Bible dictionaries and commentaries 



THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES 241 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES 

The three-quarters of a century following Jesus, from about 
30 to 100 A. D., is known as the apostolic age. Its records are 
found in the Acts and in the various epistles. The chief char- 
acter in the apostolic age was Paul, whose letters were the 
earliest of the New Testament writings. "Paul was a breaker 
of new roads, an explorer, the first typical missionary of 
Christianity. He stirred up many difficult problems for which 
precedents were rarely to be had. He was often misunderstood ; 
he was greatly hated as well as greatly loved. He was a posi- 
tive personality and filled the spiritual atmosphere with elec- 
tric currents of discussion." 

1. Spread of Christianity in Syria. This is a period of 
about fourteen years, 30-44 A. D., and the account is found in 
Acts 1 to 12. The period may be considered under three heads. 
(1) Jerusalem the early center. The death of Jesus stunned 
and daunted his disciples, but soon the vision of his living 
presence inspired them to take up the work he had left them 
to do, making Jerusalem the center of their activities. The 
large number of Jews from all parts of the Roman world at 
the annual feasts in Jerusalem gave to these zealous Christian 
teachers abundant opportunities. (2) Stoning of Stephen. The 
stoning of the faithful Stephen and the bitter persecution at 
the hands of the Jewish authorities which followed "drove the 
disciples in all directions from secluded Judah, and transformed 
them into a world-conquering missionary force." Philip worked 
with great success in Samaria, and then in Philistia. Peter 
devoted his energies to Lydda and Joppa, and, after his vision 
of the needs outside of Judea, to Caesarea. Others carried the 
gospel in other directions. (3) Paul of Tarsus. Paul was 
born in southern Cilicia, in Tarsus, a city with probably a half- 
million population. He was a Jew and a Roman citizen. His 
early environment was Roman and cosmopolitan. He was 
able, cultured, and open-minded. Probably nothing could ex- 
ceed in dramatic power the account of how he was changed 
from the most dangerous persecutor of Christians into the 



242 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

ablest champion of Christianity. "PauPs conversion," accord- 
ing to Wood and Grant, "was probably not far from 35 A. D. 
He had been born in Asia Minor (Tarsus) and educated in the 
city of Jerusalem. He was a rare combination of a great 
mystic and a very practical man. Throughout life he thought 
about many things in the fashion of a carefully trained Jew. 
The great revolution in his life and thought was on the point 
as to how a man becomes truly pleasing to God, that is, be- 
comes righteous. Before he became a Christian he thought that 
the goal of righteousness must be reached by the punctilious 
keeping of every requirement of the Mosaic law. After his con- 
version he believed that it was attained by the renewing power 
of the Spirit of God which entered the personality and helped 
it to live a new life. This saving Spirit he believed to be the 
same as the ascended, eternal Christ whom God had raised 
from the dead and by whom God was raising every believer 
to spiritual life from sinful deadness. This experience and 
belief of Paul became the core of his preaching and was con- 
sidered by many a dangerously liberal doctrine. Hebrew Chris- 
tians frequently became PauPs bitter enemies, because they 
thought that he cut away the foundations of real religion, while 
Paul contended that he really established the only possible, 
practical religion. " 

2. Period of Gentile Missions. This is a period of about 
twenty-five years, from 44 to about 79 A. D., and may be con- 
sidered under three heads. (1) Paul's first and second mis- 
sionary journeys. The account of these journeys, in Acts 13 
to 18:22, pictures the spread of Christianity in Asia Minor, 
Macedonia, and Greece. The center of PauPs activities was 
Antioch, the capital of Syria and the third metropolis of the 
Roman Empire. Paul followed the great highways of com- 
munication and commerce, and did most of his work in the cen- 
ters of population, where the Jewish communities and the syna- 
gogues afforded open doors of opportunity. The itinerary of 
the first journey included Salamis and Paphos on the Island of 
Cyprus, Perga in Pamphylia, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lys- 
tra, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch in Pisidia, Perga, Attalia, 
and Antioch. The itinerary of the second journey included 
Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Troas, Neapolis, Philippi, Thessalonica, 
Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Caesarea, and Antioch. Epis- 
tles of the period: a. First Thessalonians. Probably the first 
New Testament book. Written from Corinth to the church at 



THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES 243 

Thessalonica to establish correct views of Jesus' second com- 
ing, and contains personal reminiscences with practical sug- 
gestions, b. Second Thessalonians. Written from Corinth to 
correct misunderstanding relative to the earlier epistle, and 
contains personal appreciation, doctrinal discussion, and various 
exhortations, c. James. Some place the book among the latest 
of the New Testament writings. Written by James, a brother 
of Jesus, probably from Jerusalem. Addressed to the scat- 
tered Christians outside of Palestine, and emphasizes the prac- 
tical side of Christianity, d. Galatians. Written probably from 
Corinth to the churches of the province of Galatia to recover 
the Christians from their lapse into Judaism, and sets forth 
Paul's character and gospel, an argument for salvation by 
grace, and various practical teachings, e. Romans. Written 
from Corinth, possibly at a later time, and sets forth in sum- 
mary Paul's principles of teaching with practical applications. 
(2) Paul's third missionary journey. The account of this 
journey, in Acts 18:23 to 21:16, pictures the development 
of Christianity in Asia Minor and Greece. On this journey 
Paul visited most of the churches which he had established, 
going through Galatia and Phyrgia, and thence to Ephesus, 
which became his headquarters for about two years. From 
Ephesus journeys were made into Macedonia and Achaia. 
Having established Christianity in all the great centers along 
the main roads to Eome, Paul returned to Jerusalem by way of 
Miletus, Tyre, Ptolemais, and Cassarea. Literature of the 
period: a. First Corinthians. Written from Ephesus, to correct 
certain wrong beliefs and practices into which the Christians 
at Corinth had fallen, b. Second Corinthians. Written prob- 
ably from some place in Macedonia, to complete the correction 
of evils in the church at Corinth. (3) Rome the center. See 
Acts 21:17 to chapter 28. Paul suffered bitter persecution 
at Jerusalem, and was removed by the authorities to Caesarea, 
where he was in prison for about two years. Finally his 
Roman citizenship made it possible for him to reach Rome, 
after an eventful and perilous voyage, and to continue his 
missionary activity, though part of the time in prison there. 
Literature of the period: a. Philippians. Written from prison 
in Rome, to express appreciation and to offer loving sugges- 
tion to the Philippians. b. Ephesians. Probably a circular 
letter written from Rome to the churches of which Ephesus 
was the center, setting forth the character and power of the 



244 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

new life in Jesus, c. Colossians. Written from Rome, to con- 
fute false teachings among the Christians at Colosse. d. Phile- 
mon. Written from Rome to a Christian named Philemon re- 
garding a runaway Christian slave, and gives Paul's views on 
slavery, e. First Peter. Written probably from Rome by Peter, 
and is a message of guidance and comfort to the scattered 
Christians in Asia Minor. /. First Timothy. Written prob- 
ably from Macedonia, to Timothy, a young minister, giving sug- 
gestions as to the pastoral care of the churches, g. Titus. Writ- 
ten probably from Ephesus, and contains instructions for Titus, 
whom Paul had left in Crete, to care for the churches there. 
h. Second Timothy. Written probably from Rome. A final 
message of love and instruction to the young Timothy. 

3. Later Apostolic Age. This is a period of about thirty 
years, from 70 to 100 A. D. The most prominent of the apostles 
in this period was John, who wielded a strong influence over 
the various communities of Christians. Literature of the 
period : a. Hebrews. Authorship and place of writing unknown. 
"Intended to help Christian Jews to choose between Moses and 
Jesus." b. Jude. Written by Jude, a brother of Jesus. Date 
and place of writing unknown. Is a warning from history 
against the immorality of certain false teaching, c. Acts. 
Date and place of writing uncertain. Written by the author 
of the Gospel of Luke. A history of apostolic activity, d. Sec- 
ond Peter. There is much uncertainty as to date and place of 
writing. Addressed probably to the Christians of Asia Minor, 
and is a warning against the dangerous character of certain 
false teachings, e. Epistles of John. Written probably by the 
author of the Fourth Gospel. They inculcate practical Chris- 
tianity. /. Revelation. Written by the author of the Epistles 
of John and the Fourth Gospel. Pictures the final and glorious 
triumph of the gospel. There is much variance of opinion as 
to the interpretation of the book. 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. Read the Book of Acts rapidly, and glance through 
the Epistles in connection with the reading- of this chapter. Trace, 
on the map, the three missionary journeys of Paul, giving briefly the 
principal events. Seek, in imagination, to transport yourself back 
into these times. 



THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES 245 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Give the dates for the apostolic age, and in- 
dicate the chief sources of its history. (2) Give some account of the 
spread of Christianity in Syria. (3) Give an estimate of the character 
of Paul of Tarsus. (4) Give some account of the New Testament 
letters written during the period which included the first and second 
missionary journeys. (5) Give some account of the New Testament 
letters written during the period of the third missionary journey. 
(6) Give some account of the New Testament letters written while 
Rome was the center of Paul's activities. (7) Give some account of 
the New Testament writings of the later apostolic age. 

3. References. Wood and Grant, "The Bible as Literature," part 
n, chapters 8-21; Kent, "The Work and Teachings of the Apostles;" 
McGiffert, "A History of Christianity in the Apostolic Age;" Ram- 
say, "Saint Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen;" Gilbert, "The 
Student's Life of Paul;" Peake, "A Critical Introduction to the New 
Testament;" Gould, "Biblical Theology of the New Testament;" Rob- 
ertson, "Epochs in the Life of Paul;" Bible dictionaries and com- 
mentaries. 



246 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 



CHAPTER XVIII 

THE BIBLE IN HISTORY 

The Sunday-school teacher should have some knowledge of 
the Bible in relation to what is known as church history. The 
present lesson is an attempt to give in brief outline some of 
the salient facts. Church history may be divided into four 
periods; namely, the period of the church Fathers, the period 
of the Middle Ages, the period of the Reformation, and the mod- 
ern period. 

1. Period of the Church Fathers. In this period, which ex- 
tends from about 100 to about 750 A. D., there was produced 
a great mass of patristic literature, that is, writings of the 
Fathers, a term of respect. These writers are divided, for con- 
venience, into two classes, ante-Nicene Fathers and post-Ni- 
cene Fathers, by the year 325 A. D., which was the date of the 
Council of Nicaea, the first of the ecumenical — that is, universal 
or general — councils of the early church. (1) Ante-Nicene 
Fathers. These were the apostolic Fathers, so called because 
they were supposed to be in close fellowship with the apostles, 
and the apologists, those who wrote against the opponents of 
Christianity. Among the most important of these writers were 
Origen of Alexandria, Tertullian of Carthage, and Eusebius of 
Caesarea. Notwithstanding bitter persecutions, Christianity had 
a remarkable growth in this period. It is estimated that there 
were one-half million Christians in the Roman world at the 
end of the first century, two millions at the end of the second 
century, and five millions or more at the end of the third cen- 
tury. "In less than three hundred years/' says Trumbull, "from 
the death of Saint John the whole population of the Roman Em- 
pire, which then represented the civilized world, was nominally 
Christianized." These triumphs were won through the living 
and teaching of the Bible. (2) Post-Nicene Fathers. These 
include the Latin Fathers and the Greek Fathers. Among the 
most important of the Latin Fathers are Augustine, Jerome, 
and Gregory the Great; and some of the most important of 
the Greek Fathers are Athanasius of Alexandria, Chrysostom, 
and John of Damascus. With the accession of Constantine, the 



THE BIBLE IN HISTORY 247 

first Christian emperor, in 324, and the Council of Nicaea, in 
325, Christianity became the state religion. Thus Christianity 
triumphed nominally, but became less spiritual and less effec- 
tive. "By a gradual process of degeneration the priest came to 
be the more prominent in the church. Gradually the ritual and 
the confessional took the place of the teacher with the open 
word of God. ,, The emphasis was on forms, doctrinal discus- 
sions, councils, and creed-making. The period marked the evo- 
lution of bishoprics and the creation of a pope. 

2. Period of the Middle Ages. This period extends from 
about 750 to 1517. The one state church was divided into two 
— the Eastern, or Greek, and the Western, or Latin. The period, 
as a whole, may be characterized as one of spiritual deteriora- 
tion and mental formalism. The period may be outlined as 
follows: (1) Conflict between popes and civil rulers. When, 
in 800, Charlemagne was crowned as the successor of the 
Caesars, the understanding was that he was to be the temporal 
head of the church, and the pope the spiritual head. This was 
the beginning of the "Holy Roman Empire," and at the same 
time the beginning of differences and conflict which finally re- 
sulted in a complete victory for the pope. (2) Feudalism and 
the crusades. The authority of the pope, monkish zeal, knight- 
hood, and the warlike spirit of the times made possible the 
spectacular religious wars against heretical peoples known as 
the crusades, some important results of which were the check- 
ing of the Turkish power, the decline of feudalism and the in- 
crease of freedom, and the development of representative gov- 
ernment. (3) Monasticism and scholasticism. This was a 
period of the greatest power of monasticism and the rise of 
the two great mendicant orders — the Franciscans and the Do- 
minicans. The schoolmen "sought to analyze and systematize 
what had already been given by the fathers, councils, and 
popes." They sought to unite faith and knowledge, theology 
and philosophy. Sometimes they fell into absurd questionings 
and trivial distinctions. They developed the seven sacraments 
of Roman Catholicism. (4) Renaissance and humanism. Hu- 
manism, a study of the humanities for general culture as dis- 
tinguished from the narrow scholastic study of divinity, was 
an expression of the Renaissance, and was a preparation for 
and a help in the Reformation. (5) Reformers before the Re- 
formation. Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, John Huss, Jerome of 



248 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Prague, Savonarola, and other early reformers were persecuted 
as heretics, but they were helping to lead the world back to the 
Bible. 

3. Period of the Reformation. This period begins with 1517, 
when Martin Luther posted on the door of the church at Wit- 
tenberg, in Saxony, Germany, ninety-five theses, or proposi- 
tions, to be defended. These propositions were a protest 
against "indulgences" and other abuses in the Roman Catholic 
Church. As monk, professor, and preacher, he had reached 
these conclusions through the study of the Bible, especially of 
the Epistles of Paul, and through the study of the works of 
Augustine and of the Mystics. "He denied the supreme author- 
ity of the pope, and affirmed that the efficacy of the sacraments 
depended upon the recipient's attitude of soul." Luther trans- 
lated the Bible into German, prepared Bible catechisms, and 
established Bible schools throughout Germany. He recovered 
the Bible from the ecclesiastical rubbish heap, and gave it back 
to the world. He restored personal, spiritual Christianity. 
"Prominent among Luther's helpers was Philip Melanchthon, a 
brilliant young Humanist." Ulrich Zwingli was influential as 
the leader of a parallel reformation in Switzerland, and he was 
succeeded by John Calvin, who wrote a masterpiece in theology, 
some influential commentaries, and a catechism which was 
used extensively in Switzerland, France, Scotland, Hungary, 
the Netherlands, and England. For many years there were 
contests between the Catholics and Protestants and between 
various branches of Protestantism, and one of the results of 
the Reformation was a variety of sects and denominations; but, 
out of the conflict, the Bible has emerged as the most widely 
read and studied and lived book of literature in the world. 

4. Some Great Men of the Church. Many volumes have been 
filled with accounts of the character and achievements of the 
great men of the Church. A few of these are named here, in 
addition to those already named in the chapter, with some slight 
indication of their place in the history. (1) Justin Martyr. 
This commanding figure and powerful writer, born about the 
beginning of the second century A. D., in Palestine, but prob- 
ably of heathen origin and training, became a Christian and was 
the author of a noteworthy defense of Christianity against its 
heathen opponents and its Jewish critics. He died as a martyr 
at the hands of the Romans. (2) Origen. Was eminent as a 



THE BIBLE IN HISTORY 249 

teacher and writer, in the first half of the third century. "In 
Origen the oriental church had its greatest theologian, and 
Christianity as a whole one of its profoundest interpreters." 
His was an imposing system. "It was a marvelous interpreta- 
tion of Christianity in the light of the knowledge of that epoch ; 
but the process has to be repeated with every advance of 
knowledge." (3) Augustine. Was "probably the greatest the- 
ologian of all the early church." Flourished in the latter part 
of the fourth century. "Of all the leaders of the ancient church, 
we know Augustine most fully." His influence was a powerful 
factor in the Reformation, and also has been evident in much 
of the theology of modern times. (4) Thomas Aquinas. Flour- 
ished in the thirteenth century, and was the profoundest of the 
medieval scholars. He was great as teacher, preacher, and 
writer of speculative theology. (5) John Wesley. Led a refor- 
mation in England, in the eighteenth century, and was the 
eminent founder of Methodism. "It was no creation of a 
moment; but a growth, a marvelous adjustment of means to 
ends; and the result was such a presentation of the Gospel to 
the common people as England had never before witnessed." 
Was an indefatigable worker for fifty years. "In singleness 
of aim, sincerity of consecration, and unselfish devotion to his 
cause he had not a superior in Christian history." (6) Jona- 
than Edwards. Was the only son among eleven children. He 
was one of the foremost figures, and the ablest theologian and 
preacher, of New England, in the first half of the eighteenth 
century. "His theology was molded by the viewpoints of his 
age, and awakens only a partial response in the present," but 
that which makes him forever great was his consciousness of 
the reality and presence of God, and his ability to lead others 
into that consciousness. (7) Men of today. There are modern 
Christian leaders that are just as great, and possibly greater, 
than those farther away from us, and some of them are living 
in our time. During the past hundred years the uplifting 
power of the Bible has been more and more evident in the 
growing appreciation of the sacredness of human life, in the 
practical recognition of the brotherhood of man, in the multi- 
plication of various philanthropies, in the increasing sense of 
political and religious unity, in the general spiritualization of 
religion, and in the enlargement and improvement of religious 
education. 



250 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. The author is acquainted with a Sunday-school 
teacher, who also is an officer in his church, that has not in his home 
any denominational or other religious papers, and very few books of 
any kind. Of course he is not in a position to have any appreciation 
of the great Christian leaders of our time and of the power of the 
Bible in the history that is in the making. It follows that he cannot 
lead his children and his pupils into such appreciation. The religious 
history that is found in the average daily paper is too much diluted 
or too much condensed to be adequate. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Name the four periods into which church 
history may be divided, giving dates. (2) Indicate the importance of 
the work of the church Fathers in its relation to the Bible. (3) Indi- 
cate the place of the Bible in the Middle Ages. (4) Show what the 
Reformation did for the Bible. (5) Locate and characterize five great 
Christian leaders. (6) Indicate how the power of the Bible has been 
made effective in the world through Christian leaders during the past 
one hundred years. 

3. References. Waring, "Christianity and Its Bible," chapters 10- 
13; Selleck, "The New Appreciation of the Bible," chapters 9-17; 
Walker, "Great Men of the Christian Church;" Von Dobschuetz, "The 
Influence of the Bible on Civilization;" Vedder, "Church History 
Handbooks;" Schaff, "History of the Christian Church;" Bible dic- 
tionaries. 



THE BIBLE AND MODERN MISSIONS 251 



CHAPTER XIX 

THE BIBLE AND MODERN MISSIONS 

Christianity has been essentially a missionary religion from 
the beginning. The story of the spread of Christianity through- 
out the Roman Empire in the early centuries of our era is 
mainly a story of missionary effort and achievement. Bible 
translation and teaching played an important part in this early 
missionary activity. 

1. From Luther to Carey. This period extends from 1517 to 
1792. The period of the Middle Ages was characterized more 
by Mohammedan encroachment upon Christianity than by the 
success of Christian missions with non-Christian peoples, and 
the Reformation at the beginning was too busy getting itself 
established to give very much attention to specific missionary 
effort. The history of the missionary work of the Greek 
Catholic Church "is mainly the history of the growth of the 
Russian Empire over northern Asia to the Pacific Ocean." 
Considerable effective missionary work was done by the Roman 
Catholic Church during the sixteenth and seventeenth cen- 
turies, though much of it was superficial and some of its 
methods were objectionable. "Franciscans, Dominicans, and 
others with the opening up of the New World engaged in 
zealous, heroic work among the natives." The Jesuits did active 
missionary work in India, in China, in Japan, in Africa, in 
America, in South America, and elsewhere. The early Protes- 
tant missionary work was largely colonial. "Among the great- 
est missionaries to the Indians were John Eliot, in the seven- 
teenth century, and, in the eighteenth, David Brainerd." The 
greatest missionary work of the first half of the eighteenth 
century was that of Zinzendorf and the Moravians, "who made 
more of life than of dogma." In the latter half of the eight- 
eenth century, Schwartz did heroic missionary work in India. 
Says George Smith: "Evangelical religion seemed to be dead 
in all the churches in the second half of the eighteenth century. 
The Reformation had spent its power, for the time, in Germany 
and Holland, where it was checked by rationalism; in France, 
where it had been extinguished by the blood or the expulsion of 



252 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

the Huguenots; in England, where it was smitten by the blight 
of Arianism or Socinianism in the Established Church, and by 
that of Antinomianism and false Calvinism among the Dissent- 
ers; and in Scotland, where the Union and the Revolution Set- 
tlement of Queen Anne had handed the Church over to the 
Moderates for a century or more. The faith preached by Luther 
and the free grace set forth by Calvin survived only in the then 
small pietistic communities outside the churches, in Moravians 
and Methodists, in Puritans and Baptists." 

2. From Carey to the Present Time. In 1792 William Carey, 
who had been a cobbler, preached his famous missionary sermon. 
"With the organizing in that same year of the Baptist Society," 
says Waring, "with Andrew Fuller as its secretary and Carey 
as its first missionary, the era of effective Protestant mission- 
ary societies had come." Carey's great missionary work was 
in India. He was the first Englishman who was a missionary. 
(1) Some of the workers. Among great missionaries since 
Carey are the following: a. Henry Martyn (1781-1812). 
Martyn did missionary work in India and Persia, and translated 
the Bible into Persian. He was sent out by the Church of 
England. He was "devout, loving, compassionate." b. Robert 
Morrison (1782-1833). Morrison was sent out by the London 
Missionary Society. He was the "scholarly layer of founda- 
tions for Protestant missions in China." He translated the 
Bible into Chinese, and compiled its dictionary and grammar. 
c. Adoniram Judson (1788-1849). Judson was the first mis- 
sionary sent forth from America. He did a great work in 
Burma. His "Burmese Bible and other labors place him in the 
front rank of missionaries." d. Robert Moffat (1795-1883). 
Moffat, trained as a gardener, became a great missionary in 
South Africa. His daughter, Mary, married the great mis- 
sionary explorer of Africa, David Livingstone, e. Alexander 
Duff (1806-1878). Duff was sent to India by the Church of 
Scotland. He used the educational method of evangelizing. 
His work is significant in the light of our modern educational 
evangelism. (2) Some of the work. "There is on the foreign 
field today," says Taylor, "a Christian community of more 
than five million souls, about one-half of whom have been 
received into active membership of the churches." "The first 
million converts of the modern missionary era were won in one 
hundred years; the second million were added in twelve years, 
and the next million will be gained in six years. In China it 



THE BIBLE AND MODERN MISSIONS 253 

took thirty-five years to win the first six, and at the end of 
fifty years there were less than a thousand who professed 
evangelical Christianity in that hoary old land; but at the end 
of the second half-century there are a round quarter-million in 
the Protestant Christian community there, and the numbers 
have increased sevenfold in two decades. In India the increase 
has been more gratifying." "The work of the missionaries has 
been broad in scope and far reaching in results. They have not 
only evangelized, but have translated books, founded schools and 
hospitals, advised governments, introduced helpful inventions, 
developed industries, changed haimful customs, bettered physi- 
cal conditions, and exemplified the Bible life in their homes and 
as individuals." "But," quoting cgain from Taylor, "gratify- 
ing as the evangelistic statistics are, they do not tell all the 
story. Multitudes receive of the good the missionary offers 
that do not openly profess the creed he takes. There are ten 
thousand missionary homes, every one of which is a neighbor- 
hood center, doing in a way the work of a social settlement. 
There are one hundred and sixty mission presses, upon which 
there are printed five hundred periodicals, besides tracts in- 
numerable, and thousands of books. Through the diffusion of 
literature, knowledge on every theme that forms a part of 
modern knowledge is desseminated. Missionaries translate 
books of science, history, political economy, sociology, and law. 
They acquaint the backward nations with the progress of civil- 
ization, and put in their hands the knowledge and art essential 
to attain it for themselves. They conduct twenty-five thousand 
schools, and in them instruct more than one million five hun- 
dred thousand pupils. The instruction reaches from the kin- 
dergarten to the university and technical instruction. Through 
them they create a citizenship." (3) Needs and opportunities. 
A statistical view of the growth of Christianity, as given by 
George Smith, is as follows: Three centuries after Christ, ten 
millions of Christians; eight centuries, thirty-five millions; ten 
centuries, fifty millions; fifteen centuries, one hundred mil- 
lions; eighteen centuries, one hundred and seventy-four mil- 
lions; nineteen centuries, five hundred and thirty-five millions. 
After all our years of missionary effort and triumph, however, 
it would seem that we have only begun really to grasp the mis- 
sionary problem. Only about one-third of the fifteen hundred 
millions of people in the world are Christian, counting Greek 
Catholics and Roman Catholics, as well as Protestants and all 



254 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

others; and there are many indications that Christians are face 
to face with their greatest opportunities. The great non- 
Christian nations are plastic and changing, and are ready for 
the Bible and Christianity as never before in the history of the 
world. "Throughout the non-Christian world," says Mott, 
"there are unmistakable signs of the great awakening of great 
people from their long sleep." "The peoples of the earth," says 
Taylor, "are today awakened by the new internationalism." 
"The great awakenings of the last twenty centuries," says 
Doughty, "influenced directly only a few millions of people in 
contrast with the awakening of today, which affects three- 
fourths of the human race. . . In character also the present 
movement is eclipsing all former awakenings in history." 



CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. The awful European war, at this time, is seriously 
crippling" the operations of the great missionary boards, but it only 
emphasizes the need for more missionary money and effort. At its 
close, doubtless there will appear the greatest needs and opportunities 
in the history of missions. The "new internationalism," about which 
we have heard so much, seems to have sustained a fatal shock, but 
let us hope that, out of the terrible conflict, there will arise a newer 
and a more enduring internationalism. 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Indicate the influence of missionary effort 
from Luther to Carey. (2) Indicate the important place of William 
Carey in missions. (3) Name and locate five great missionaries. (4) 
Indicate the scope and results of missionary activity. (6) Indicate 
some missionary needs and opportunities of our time. 

3. References. Smith, "Short History of Christian Missions;" Tay- 
lor, "The Social Work of Christian Missions;" Doughty, "The Call of 
the World;" Wells, "Into All the World;" Beach, "Princely Men in 
the Heavenly Kingdom;" Brown, "The Why and How of Foreign 
Missions;" Mott, "The Decisive Hour of Christian Missions." See 
also lists issued by the various mission societies and denominational 
boards. 



THE BIBLE AND SOCIETY 255 



CHAPTER XX 

THE BIBLE AND SOCIETY 

The religion of the Bible has to do not merely with the indi- 
vidual as an individual, but with the individual in two relations 
— with the individual in relation to God and to man. The first 
four of the Ten Commandments have to do with man's relation 
to God, and the other six with his relation to other men. Jesus' 
summary makes love to God first and love to man second. 

1. The Individual and Society. One could not be independent 
of society if he would. "For none of us liveth unto himself, 
and no man dieth to himself." Every individual is dependent 
on society, and society is dependent on him. Even monasticism 
was a kind of specialized social life. Sustained hermit life is 
practically impossible in our time. It was an interesting ex- 
periment, to maintain oneself alone for a given period in the 
northern woods, but it was made possible by what society had 
already done for the individual who undertook it, and it was 
terminated by the call of society. The call of society always 
has been stronger than the call of the woods. (1) The indi- 
vidual's dependence on society. The individual's life with God 
cannot be right unless it is a proper part of a right social life. 
The individual gets his Bible from society — from many indi- 
viduals working to bring about a common result. There are 
many individuals still who are without the Bible because society 
has not brought it to them. The individual's ability to read the 
Bible after he gets it is dependent on what society has done for 
him. Society has not yet made it possible for every individual 
to read the Bible. One's view of the Bible is determined largely 
by the society he knows. The individual who has been reared 
in a Roman Catholic society usually holds the Roman Catholic 
view of the Bible, and he who has been reared in a Presbyterian 
society usually holds the Presbyterian view. Society not only 
must provide the individual with the Bible and make it possible 
for him to read it, but must also teach him how to interpret it 
and apply it; and this latter thing society has not yet done for 
the great majority of the individuals in the world. The con- 
tinued shortage in competent teachers of the Bible is appalling. 



256 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Furthermore, society must give to the individual liberty and op- 
portunity to study the Bible. The former has been denied to 
many individuals, and the latter has not yet come to most in- 
dividuals even in our own land. At the same time, society must 
meet the individual's animal needs, for he cannot read and live 
the Bible if he is hungry or cold or stifled with bad air. (2) 
Society's dependence op the individual. Society is never any 
better than the individuals of which it is composed, and all prog- 
ress in society seems to have been brought about under the 
leadership of superior individuals, as is illustrated in the Old 
Testament in the prophets, priests, and wise men, and in the 
New Testament in Jesus, the most potent of all social leaders. 
Indeed, this great leader taught that one can live the life with 
God only as he lives it in relation to other human beings. One 
cannot be right with God and be wrong with men. Love to God 
comes first, but there is no first without the second — love to 
men. The individual serves God only through his service to 
men. God himself will not drink the cup of cold water. Not 
only is this true, but it would seem to follow from the Bible 
teaching that the individual cannot serve society except as he 
cooperates with society. Jesus organized a society of twelve 
in order to serve society. And, in our day, life is much more 
fully socialized than in Jesus' day. Today, the good Samaritan 
cooperates with other individuals in the making and enforcing 
of laws which insure safe roads, whether they be automobile 
roads or railroads. If the good Samaritan of the parable were 
to bring his wounded traveler to some of the hotels allowed to 
exist by modern society, he would not be doing the unfortunate 
a very great kindness, but would be simply delivering him from 
one robber to another. The efforts of modern Samaritans, to 
be effective, must be, for the most part, organized and coop- 
erative. The good Samaritan of today soon will be a dead Sa- 
maritan if he goes alone. 

2. The Institutions of Society. Society has developed cer- 
tain institutions with which the individual must cooperate if he 
would love his neighbor as himself. The most important of 
these are the home, the church, the school, and the state. (1) 
The home. The home is the most fundamental of all institu- 
tions, and it largely determines the character of the others. It 
is largely out of an apprehension of the true attitude toward 
the home that has grown the modern agitation for adequate 
marriage and divorce laws, improved courtship customs, proper 



THE BIBLE AND SOCIETY 257 

sex instruction, betterment of housing conditions, more parks 
and playgrounds, and intelligent study of the nature and needs 
of children. Helen Keller: "Two-fifths of all blindness could 
have been prevented by precautionary or curative treatment. 
Of this, one-quarter, or one-tenth of the whole, is due to what 
is called 'ophthalmia neonatorum' — that is, 'infantile ophthal- 
mia.' " "If our physicians have undertaken to exterminate so 
subtle an enemy as tuberculosis, they should make short work 
of ophthalmia neonatorum, which is obvious and easily cured 
To do battle with it our physicians must march as soldiers have 
gone forth before, ordered by the State and urged on by women. 
American women can accomplish almost anything that they set 
their hearts on, and the mothers of the land together with the 
physicians can abolish infantile ophthalmia, yes, wipe it out of 
the civilized world.' ' (2) The church. Next to the home, the 
church is the most important of the institutions for the im- 
provement of society, and there seems to be a growing feeling 
that it needs to rid itself of some of its formalism and medi- 
evalism, and make itself felt more powerfully as a social center, 
through an improved type of building, through more vital and 
practical preaching, through more effective teaching by godly, 
trained teachers, and through a larger ministry to the religious, 
intellectual, and material needs of the community. Every 
church should maintain a committee on religious education. 
(3) The school. It has been said that some so-called Christian 
schools have been teaching everything except religion, but there 
is ground for encouragement in the present situation. There 
are some indications that the Bible may have an honorable place 
in ail our schools within the next generation. At the present 
time it has come to have an important position as a curriculum 
subject in a number of our best institutions of learning. Reli- 
gious education today does not mean training in a narrow sec- 
tarianism, but the adequate teaching of the Bible in its applica- 
tions to modern needs. V& illiam Howard Taf t, in an address be- 
fore the Religious Education Association, in 1914: "How in- 
spiring it was, how full of hope it was, to hear from Mr. Mott 
the fact that religion was exercising a powerful and growing 
influence among all college students of the world! We know 
that the moral and religious standard is higher at Yale than 
ever it was, and it is the highest satisfaction to hear from such 
a reliable source that what we find here under our eyes is being 
manifested the student world over." "The things that we fight 



258 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

hardest in college life and in the religion and education of 
students is indifference and cynicism. Give me misdirected 
fervor, wild theories lacking in sanity, extreme error, if only 
the sincere spirit of religious and social service is alive and 
militant, because the hard experience of practical results will 
temper this into useful activity later on. But nothing can over- 
come the smug contentment and cynical satisfaction of those 
who don't care and whose selfish lives dry up the springs of the 
spirit of human brotherhood and kill the gratitude for the bless- 
ings of God." (4) The state. The individual who would live 
the Bible life socially must have a deep interest in the organized 
efforts in behalf of the purification of politics, reform in law- 
making, the adjustment of differences between capital and 
labor, the abolition of the liquor and white-slave traffics, the 
regulation of public utilities, and the consummation of interna- 
tional peace. "Only when men of all races and ranks," says 
Henderson, "have come to be one in the kingdom of God which 
Jesus proclaimed shall we have the final and enduring pledge 
of peace by righteousness." 

CLASS CONFERENCE 

1. Illustration. I have found, in teaching a class in Christian 
sociology in the college each year, that young women respond readily 
to the call of social service, and that one of the chief values of the 
study, in addition to the principles and facts gained, is the acquiring 
of an intelligent interest in sociological articles and items in maga- 
zines and newspapers. Young women who have thus studied sociol- 
ogy, and attained a social service attitude, are likely to practice the 
principles in the home, in the organized Sunday-school class, and in 
the women's clubs and leagues. Why not have such a class, with 
some such text as Henderson's "Social Duties," in every Sunday- 
school? 

2. Lesson Tests. (1) Discuss the interdependence of society and 
the individual. (2) Indicate some lines of social effort in behalf of 
the home. (3) Indicate how the church may become a greater power 
for social uplift. (4) Show how the Bible may be made a greater 
power in society through the school. (5) How may the Bible become 
a greater power in government? 

3. References. Henderson, "Social Duties from the Christian Point 
of View;" Mathews, "The Social Gospel;" Peabody, "Jesus Christ and 
the Social Question;" Small and Vincent, "Introduction to the Study 
of Society;" Wright, "Outline of Practical Sociology;" Dewey and 
Tufts, "Ethics;" Bliss, "Encyclopedia of Reforms;" Cope, "The Evo- 
lution of the Sunday School;" Brown, "Sunday School Movements in 
America;" Sampey, "The International Lesson System;" Trumbull, 
"Yale Lectures on the Sunday School;" Five Volumes of Religious 
Education Association. 



TOPICAL INDEX 259 



Topical Index 



Adults— Books, pages 163, 164, 166; Interests, 72, 88; Lessons, 75; 
Methods of teaching, 88, 90, 95, 96, 98, 99, 100, 101; Organization, 
62, 118; Problems, 61; References, 62; Rooms, 157, 158; Work, 
62, 82. 

Advertising — Announcements, 138; Blackboards, 138; Bulletin, 138; 
Newspaper space, 139; Personal invitations, 139; Write-ups, 138; 
Unusual events, 139. 

Apocrypha — and Canon, 187; Dates of, 188, 189; Maccabees, 188; Mean- 
ing of, 187; New Testament, 189; Old Testament, 188; References, 
189; Value of, 188, 189. 

Apostles — Dates of, 241; Early activities, 241; Gentile missions, 242; 
Later activity, 242; Missionary journeys of, 242, 243; Paul, 242- 
244; as Teachers, 203, 242, 243. 

Attention — Definition, 70; Distractions, 70, 71; and Interest, 71, 72; 
Methods of securing, 72, 73; References, 73; Teacher's responsi- 
bility, 70; and Variety, 73. 

Beginners — Attendance gifts, 38; Birthdays, 38; Conferences, 123; Con- 
trariness, 36; Departmental organization, 37; Equipment, 37; 
Graded lessons, 38; Imagination of, 35; Imitations of, 36; Indi- 
vidualization, 36; Perceptions of, 35; Pictures, 34; Plays of, 36; 
References, 39; Religion of, 37; Rooms for, 37, 157, 158; Self- 
expression, 39; Songs, 38; Special days, 38; Superintendent of 
department, 37; Teaching materials, 38. 

Blackboards — in Adult department, 99; in Beginners' department, 99; 
Cost of, 99; in Intermediate department, 99; in Junior depart- 
ment, 99; Necessity for, 99; in Primary department, 99; Refer- 
ences, 102; in Senior department, 99. 

Bible — and Archeologists, 170; and Canon, 187; Critics of the form, 170; 
Critics of the text, 170; Divine origin, 190-194; Divisions of, 175; 
Growth of, 179-182; in History, 246-254; Interpretation of, 171, 
172; as Literature, 174; Manuscripts of, 183, 184; Names of 
books, 176; Order of books, 177; and Psychologists, 170; and 
Society, 255-258; Study of, 169; Teachers of, 195-204; Teachings 
of, 191, 192; Versions of, 184-186. 



260 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Buildings — Architects, 159, 160; Assembly- rooms, 155-159; Fundamental 
principle, 154; for Large school, 156, 157; for Small school, 156, 
158; Movable partitions bad, 155; Plans, 157, 158; References, 160; 
Rooms, 155-158; Separation needed, 154. 

Canon — and Catholics, 187; Making of, 187; Meaning-, 187; New Testa- 
ment, 187; Old Testament, 187; References, 189. 

Church — and Bible, 246; Early history of, 246; Period of Church 
Fathers, 246; Leaders of, 248, 249, 252; Period of Middle Ages, 
247; Modern period, 251-254; Opportunities of, 253; References, 
250, 254; Period of Reformation, 248; Responsibility of, 253, 254. 

Contests — Conditions of, 136; Dangers of, 136; Kinds of, 136; Refer- 
ences, 139; Rules for, 136. 

Conversion — after Conversion, 111, 112; Age of, 109; Atmosphere 
favorable to, 110; Decision day, 109, 110; Educational evangelism, 
108; and Experience, 108; Personal work, 111; References, 112; 
and Regeneration, 108; Statistics of, 109; and Teaching, 111. 

Cradle Roll — Baby nature, 29, 30; Conferences, 122; Development of 
infants, 29, 30; Equipment, 31; Enrolment, 31; Helping the 
mothers, 30, 31; Literature, 32; Methods, 32; Pictures, 28, 33; 
Promotions, 32; References, 33; Special days, 32; Superintendent, 
31; Roll itself, 31; Training the infants, 31. 

Days — Children's, 148; Christmas, 147; Decision, 109, 110, 148; Depart- 
mental, 38, 50, 145; Easter, 148; Field, 148; Mothers', 148; Prep- 
aration for, 145; Promotion, 145, 146, 148; Rally, 146, 147; Refer- 
ences, 149; Thanksgiving, 148; Value of, 145. 

Drills — in Adult department, 98; in Beginners' department, 98; Com- 
bined with other methods, 98; in Intermediate department, 98; 
in Junior department, 98, 102; in Primary department, 98; 
References, 102; in Senior department, 98; Value, 98. 

Emotions — and Feelings, 24; Importance of, 24, 25, 31; Nature of, 24, 
37; in Primary pupils, 42; References, 27; and Self-expression, 
42; Sense of worth, 24; in Teacher, 24, 25; Training of, 42. 

Equipment — in Adult department, 62; in Beginners' department, 37, 
38; for Cradle roll, 31; in Intermediate department, 56; in Junior 
department, 50; in Primary department, 42; in Senior depart- 
ment, 62. 

Experience — and Discouragement, 11; How enriched, 11; Individual, 
11; and Mistakes, 11, 12; and Originality, 12; and Progress, 12, 
13; References, 15; Teaching value, 13; and Training, 13, 14. 

Finances — Amounts, 143; Education in, 142, 143; How increased, 143; 
Importance, 140, 143; Motives, 143; Objects, 143; Proxy giving, 
143; Pupil's record, 143; References, 144; Reverence, 143, 144. 

Graded Lessons — Adults, 75; Argument for, 74; Beginners, 74; Defini- 
tion, 74; Intermediates, 75; Juniors, 74; Objections answered, 77, 
78; Ordering supplies, 76; Primary pupils, 74; Problems, 77, 78; 
References, 78; Seniors, 75; and Uniform lessons, 75, 76; Use 
of, 76, 77. 



TOPICAL INDEX 261 

Handwork— Adults, 82; Beginners, 80; Dangers, 79; Definition, 79; 
Intermediates, 82; Juniors, 81, 82; Primary pupils, 80, 81; Refer- 
ences, 83; Seniors, 82; Value, 79, 80. 

Hebrews — Bondage in Egypt, 216; Deliverance from slavery, 216; 
Division of, 225-228; Early records of, 210-214; as Nomads, 216; 
Origin of, 215; Other names of, 215; References, 214, 219, 224, 
228; Settlement in Palestine, 218; United Kingdom of, 220-224; 
Wanderings of, 217, 218. 

imagination — in Beginners, 35, 36; Importance in religion, 23; in Inter- 
mediates, 54; in Juniors, 46, 47; Nature of, 23; in Primary pupils, 
41; References, 23; Training of, 22, 23. 

Intermediates — Athletics, 54; Class organization, 118; Conferences, 
122, 123; Crisis, 53; Departmental organization, 118; Inconsist- 
ences, 50; Independence, 55; Interests, 72; Lessons, 75; Mental 
development, 54, 55; Methods of teaching, 87, 88, 97, 98, 99; Morals 
and religion, 55, 66; Physical growth, 54; References, 57; Rooms, 
156-158; Self- consciousness, 55; Self-expression, 52, 82; Transi- 
tion time, 53. 

Interest — Adults, 72; Beginners, 72; Basis of attention, 71; How 
developed, 72, 73; Juniors, 48, 72; Intermediates, 72; Point of 
contact, 73; Primary pupils, 72; References, 73; Seniors, 72; 
Stories, 87, 88; and Teaching, 71. 

Instincts — Classification of, 26, 27; Definition, 26; and Emotions, 24; 
and Interests, 26; References, 27; Ripening of, 26; and Teach- 
ing, 26. 

Jesus — Early life of, 238; Events of ministry, 238, 239; in Gospels, 
237-239; Land of, 205-209; Methods of teaching, 202; Ministry of, 
238, 239; Scenes of ministry, 238, 239; as Teacher, 201-203; Teach- 
ings of, 239; Training of, 202. 

jews— Babylonian age, 229, 230; Early period of, 229-232; Greek age, 
231, 232; and Hebrews, 229; Judaism, 232; Later period of, 233- 
236; Maccabean age, 233, 234; in New Testament times, 235, 236; 
Persian age, 231, 232; References, 232, 236; Roman age, 234-236. 

Juniors — Books for, 165; Conferences, 50; Departmental organization 
and equipment, 49, 50; Emotions, 47; Health, 46; Grading, 117, 
118; Imagination, 46; Interests, 48, 49, 72, 74; Memory, 47, 49; 
Methods of teaching, 87, 97-99, 102; Perception, 46; Program, 50; 
Reason, 47; Records, 50; References, 51; Religion, 48; Rooms, 
156-158; Self-expression, 81, 82; Special days, 50, 146; Teachers, 
50; Will, 47. 

Lectures — Argument against, 100; How used, 100; Preparation for, 
100; Value of, 100, 101; When used, 100. 

Lesson Preparation — Beginning of, 103; Helps, 103, 107; Library, 163- 
165; Locating the lesson, 103, 104; Making the application, 106; 
Meaning of language, 104; Planning for pupils, 104, 105; Refer- 
ences, 107; Selection of materials, 105; Training for, 107. 

Libraries — for Adults, 166; Attendance increased, 161; Classes of books, 
163-166; for Cradle roll, 32, 33; for Home department, 166; for 
Intermediates, 165; for Juniors, 165; Librarian, 162; Management 
of, 162, 163; Money for, 162; for Officers, 163-165; for Primary 
pupils, 165; References, 166; Room for, 162; Selection of books, 
161, 162; for Seniors, 165; for Teachers, 163-165. 



262 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Management — Choosing officers, 120, 121; Departmental conferences, 
123; Departmental officers, 115, 116; Inauguration of teachers, 
134; Officers' conference, 122, 123; Officers needed, 120; Qualifi- 
cations of officers, 120, 121; References, 119, 135; School confer- 
ence, 123, 124; Selection of teachers, 131, 132; Training of officers 
and teachers, 132-134; Unity and cooperation, 121-124. 

Manuscripts — Age of, 183, 184; Alexandrian, 184; Cursives, 184; How 
made, 183; Location of, 184; Materials on which written, 183; 
Number of, 184; Sinaitic, 184; Uncials, 184; Value of, 183, 184; 
Vatican, 184. 

Membership — Advertising, 138, 139; Conferences, 137; Contests, 136; 
Canvasses, 137; Fellowship, 138; Holding members, 137, 138; 
How increased, 136, 137; References, 139; Teaching, 138. 

Memory — of Juniors, 47, 49; Nature of, 22; of Primary pupils, 41; 
References, 23; Training of,^ 22. 

Methods of Teaching — Blackboard, 99; Drill, 98, 102; Lecture, 100, 101; 
Manual, 79-83; Object, 99, 100; Picture, 96, 97; Question, 94-96; 
References, 83, 88, 97, 102; Research, 101; Stories, 84-93; Training 
in, 13, 14, 65-69. 

Missions — and Bible, 251-254; Books, 152, 153; Doing missions, 151, 
152; Giving, 143, 144; and Graded lessons, 153; Influence of, 252, 
253; Leaders in, 252; with Other lessons, 151; Library, 152; 
Modern period of, 251-254; Motive, 253, 254; Museum, 152; in 
Program, 150, 151; References, 153, 254; Supplemental lessons, 
150. 

Objects—Common objects of today, 100; Misuse, 100; Oriental models, 
100; Ribbons, 100; Sticks, 100; Symbols, 100; Use in teaching, 
100; Value of, 99, 100. 

Old Testament — Apocrypha, 187-189; Beginnings, 179; Canon of, 187; 
Development, 179, 180; Geography, 205-208; History, 215-232; 
Lands, 205-209; as Literature, 174-176; Manuscripts and versions, 
183-186; Maps, 205, 215, 225; Methods of teaching, 196-199; Priests, 
197, 198; Prophets, 196, 197; References, 178, 182, 186, 189, 199, 
209, 214, 219, 224, 228, 232; Roads, 208, 209; Stories, 210-214; 
Teachers, 195-199; Wise men, 198, 199; Writers, 180-182. 

Organization — for Adults, 62, 111; for Beginners, 37. 117; for Cradle 
roll, 31, 117; Departmental, 115, 116; Essentials of, 115-119; for 
Home department, 118; for Intermediates, 56, 118; for Juniors, 
49, 50, 117; Outline of, 116-118; in Primary department, 42, 43, 
117; References, 119; for Seniors, 62, 118; Value of, 115, 116. 

Personality — and Address, 67; and Appearance, 66; Developed in pupils, 
16-19; Elements, 65-69; and Enthusiasm, 68; and Optimism, 68; 
References, 69; and Reserve, 67; and Scholarship, 65; and Sin- 
cerity, 65, 66; and Success, 65; and Sympathy, 68; in Teacher, 
65-69; and Vitality, 67. 

Pictures — in Beginners' department, 37, 38, 80, 96; in Cradle roll 
department, 33; in Intermediate department, 97; in Junior 
department, 81, 97; Materials of teaching, 96; Methods of using, 
96; in Primary department, 44, 80, 97; References, 97; Value, 96; 
Where obtained, 96, 



TOPICAL INDEX 263 

Primary Department — Classes, 117; Conference, 122, 123; Egoism, 41; 
Emotional training, 42; Equipment, 42, 43; Grading, 117; Imag- 
ination, 41; Lessons, 44, 74; Methods of teaching, 72, 87, 98, 99; 
Pictures, 97; Program, 43, 44, 125-129; Promotions, 146, 146; 
Pupils' characteristics, 41, 42; Records, 141, 142; Rooms, 42, 43; 
Scripture alphabet, 43, 44; Self-expression, 44, 80, 81; Songs, 45; 
Special days, 145-148; Supplies, 44; Teachers, 117. 

Program — in Adult department, 62; Changes in, 126; Conduct of, 127, 
128; Definition, 125; Must be graded, 126; in Intermediate depart- 
ment, 56; in Junior department, 49, 50; Missions in, 150-153; 
Preparation of, 126, 127; in Primary department, 43, 44; Purpose 
of, 125; References, 129; in Senior department, 62; Teachers' 
part in, 126, 127; Value of, 125; Writing of, 126. 

Promotion — in Beginners' department, 32; Certificates of, 145; in 
Intermediate department, 146; in Junior department, 146; Method 
of, 145, 146; in Primary department, 146; Program, 145, 146; 
References, 149; in Senior department, 146; Time for, 145; Value 
of, 145. 

Pupils— Activities, 79-83; Age, 18, 109; and Bible, 17; Classification 
29, 30, 35, 37, 41, 42, 46-48, 53-56, 59-62, 116-118; Concepts, 20, 21 
Emotions, 24, 25; First in importance, 16; Individuality, 19 
Imagination, 22, 23; Instincts, 26, 27; Interests, 71-73, 87, 88; 
Judgment, 20, 21; Memory, 22; and Organization, 16; Perceptions, 
21, 22; Reasoning, 20, 21; References, 19, 23, 27, 33, 39, 45, 51 
Sensations, 21, 22, 57, 62; and Teacher, 17; Will, 25, 26. 

Questions — Should be clear and definite, 94; Corrective, 96; Develop- 
ing, 95; Examination, 95; Should be graded, 94; Informational, 
95; Preparation, 95; Personal, 95, 96; References, 97; Review, 
95; Rhetorical, 96; Should be thought- provoking, 94; Types of, 
95, 96; Should be vital, 94; Should be used with other methods, 94. 

Records — Cards for, 140, 141; Should be graded, 142; Historical, 140, 
141; How obtained, 140; New pupils, 141; Preservation of, 140; 
References, 144; Reports of, 142; Systems, 141, 142; Value of, 141. 

Secretary — Absentees, 141; Conference, 122-124; Correspondence, 141; 

Department, 140; Duties of, 140, 141; General, 140, 141, 142; 

Qualifications of, 140; Records of, 140, 141; References, 144; 
Reports of, 142; Room for, 140, 156-158. 

Self- Expression — Adults, 59-62, 82; Beginners, 34, 38, 39, 80; Dangers, 
79; Definition, 79; Intermediates, 52, 82; Juniors, 40, 48-50, 81, 82; 
Methods of securing, 79; Primary pupils, 40, 43, 44, 80; Refer- 
ences, 83; Seniors, 59-62, 82; Types, 79; Value, 79, 82. 

Seniors — Athletics, 59, 60; Class organization, 58, 62; Departmental 
organization, 118; Home-making, 60; Interests, 60, 87, 88; Methods 
of teaching, 75, 84-102; Physical life, 59, 60; Program for, 125- 
129; Reading, 163-166; References, 62; Relation of sexes, 60; 
Religious doubts, 60, 61, 109; Rooms, 156-158; Self-expression, 
82; Training, 130-135. 

Society— and Apostles, 256; and Bible, 255; and Church, 257; and 
Home, 256, 257; Improvement of, 256-258; and Individual, 255, 
256; Institutions of, 256-258; and Jesus, 256; and Prophets of Old 
Testament, 256; References, 258; and School, 257, 258; and State 
258. 



264 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

Stories — for Adults, 88, 90-93; Arrangement, 85, 86; for Beginners, 87; 
Biblical, 89; Characteristics, 85; Idealistic, 89; for Intermediates, 
87, 88; Jesus' use of, 202; for Juniors, 87; Materials, 89; Old 
Testament teachers' use of, 196; Power of, 84, 85; Preparation of, 
89, 90; for Primary pupils, 87; Realistic, 89; References, 88; for 
Seniors, 88; Sources, 89; Telling, 86; Types, 89. 

Teachers — Conferences for, 123; Diplomas, 133, 134; Finding them, 
131, 132; Graduation of, 134; Inauguration of, 134; Library for, 
163-165; in New Testament, 200-204; in Old Testament, 195-199; 
Practice teaching, 133; References, 135; Relation to day-schools, 
132; Selection of, 132-134; Supply teachers, 133, 134; Text-books 
for, 133; Training them, 130-135; Where found, 131, 132. 

Training — Classes, 132-134; in Colleges, 257; Courses, 134; Graduations, 
133, 134; in Institutes, 134; Practice teaching, 133; through Read- 
ing, 163-165; References, 135; between Sundays, 134; at Sunday- 
school hour, 133; Teacher of class, 133; Text-books, 133; Value, 
13, 14. 

Treasurer — Accounts of, 142, 143; Conferences, 122-124; Departmental, 
120; Duties of, 120, 142, 143; General, 142, 143; Qualifications of, 
142; Records of, 143; References, 144; Reports of, 143; Room for, 
154-160; Training of, 130-135. 

Versions — Age of, 185, 186; English, 185, 186; Definition of, 184; Douai, 
185, 186; Latin, 185; Old, 185; References, 186; Revised, 186; 
Septuagint, 185; Targums, 185; Twentieth Century, 171; Vulgate, 
185. 

Will — and Attention, 70; Early training, 25; General principles, 25, 26; 
and Habits, 25; Motivation, 25; References, 27; and Repetition, 
25; Training of, 25, 26. 



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